Born and raised on Smith Hill, John Robert Burkitt entered this earthly life on December 13, 1937, the eldest child of Harry Delbert and Crilla Pearl (Dunn) Burkitt and sibling to Frances (Terry) Klinker and George (the late Esther) Burkitt. He entered the Kingdom of Heaven on March 1, 2026 and was welcomed there by his parents, sister-in-law, infant grandson Brice Burton, brother-in-law Rick Litteral, and father-in-law Donald Tackett.
Following his elementary schooling at Elm Grove, Johnnie proudly graduated from Piketon High School in 1955, where he shined on the baseball field as a pitcher. After graduation, he entered the workforce at Portsmouth Steel Corporation/Detroit Steel; after its closing, he worked at Pleasant Hill Nursing Home in maintenance and later at Scioto Valley Local Schools as a beloved janitor. His wife and children never thought he would retire (though he snuck in some sub janitor shifts for several years). John married Vonnie (his Blondie) on July 17, 1989. His children Ginger (Bill) Lawless, Angie (Bo) Farmer, and Todd (Amy) Burkitt and her daughter April (Nick) Brown formed his immediate family, along with grandchildren: Matthew (Kayla) Hartley, Colton (Danny) Weiss, Betty, Bing, and Billie Brown; and great-grandchildren: Audrey and Boone Hartley. He is also survived by his fur-children Simon and Buckeye, close friends Larry Teeters and Leon Perdue, his siblings, their families, and his mother-in-law Beverly Tackett.
Besides son, brother, uncle, friend, husband, dad, father-in-law, papaw and great-papaw, John may also be credited as Piketon’s biggest sports fan. He happily attended any and all sporting events, often with his pals Larry and Leon. And “any sport” literally means just that: whatever the season (fall, winter, spring), whatever the level (junior high, high school, even peewee), if it involved a Piketon team, JB liked to be there supporting the kids and coaches, whether it was atop the crow’s nest running the clock, sitting in the bleachers, perched by the court, or standing at the fence. His love of the Bengals, Reds and Buckeyes was big, but his love of the Redstreaks was bigger. He and Vonnie were former Piketon Athletic Boosters with John serving as president at one point. In his last weeks of life, he talked about PIketon’s basketball tournaments and the upcoming baseball season, a true Redstreak until the very end; if there are baseball caps in heaven, he is most definitely wearing a Piketon one.
John attended New Covenant Church with Vonnie, where he received Christ as his Savior on October 25, 2025. His family is blessed to know he was content with his 88 years of life, ready to meet his maker, and able to do so at home, per his wishes, surrounded by their love. The family would like to thank National Church Residence Hospice for the kind, respectful care John received. Funeral services will be held at Botkin Hornback Funeral Home in Waverly on Friday, March 6, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. with Michael Blevins officiating. Burial will follow in Mound Cemetery. Visitation for friends and family will be Thursday, March 5th from 4:00p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and one hour prior to the service on Friday. In lieu of flowers, donations to Piketon Athletic Boosters, 1414 Piketon Rd. Piketon, Ohio or New Covenant Church, 535 E. 2nd St. Waverly, Ohio may be made in John’s memory.
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