John R. Phippen Jr.

John R. Phippen Jr. (Johnny), 59, of Central Square, New York passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack on Friday, July 18th , 2025.  He was born on January 13th , 1966, in Syracuse, New York, son of John and Jane Phippen.  Raised with a solid Catholic upbringing through St. Michael’s Church, John was a lifelong resident of Central Square. He was a 1984 graduate of Paul V. Moore High School and attended SUNY at Canton. He married the love of his life, Christine Harkness, on October 20, 1990, and raised two beautiful daughters, Lora and Hana.
John worked for over 20 years at the Central Square Central School District in the maintenance department, where he sustained many specialized systems, including, but not limited to the phone system, the clocks, HVAC, and the PA system for the entire district.
Johnny was an outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing, along with gardening, canning his vegetables and mowing his lawn. He was a member of Vintage Karting America (VKA), as he restored and raced vintage Go-Karts. Throughout the years, he was in golf leagues and bowling leagues, where he had three 300 games.
Johnny will always be known for his wealth of information. Whether it was a mechanical system
or home construction, he had the ability to understand and explain how things functioned. His mind was full of practical knowledge, and he could fix what was broken, even if it had to be with a “Phippen cob job.”
Johnny had a daily ritual of crossword puzzles, with a well-worn dictionary always nearby. He could hold a conversation with anyone about any subject. To those who knew him, Johnny was a problem-solver and had a steady presence. His quiet intelligence and quick wit made him unforgettable. He will truly be missed by all.
John is survived by his loving wife, Christine, his two daughters, Lora and Hana, his father, John R. Phippen Sr., his three sisters, Maureen (Chip) Phippen Ladd, Mary Jane (Rick) Howley, and Monica (David) Bardoun, all residing in Central Square, his two sisters-in-law, Cindy (Mickey) Vercillo of Clay and Sue Green of Cicero, his aunt, Cindy Holt from Colorado and his uncle, Ronnie Sullivan from Malone, NY. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews (Tyler, Josh, Ricky, Robby, Alyssa, Lance, Vince, Leighann, Phil, Nick, Anthony, and Brianna) and several great-
nieces and great-nephews.
He was predeceased by his mother, Jane Phippen, as well as his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Maureen and James Harkness.
Calling hours will be at Watson Funeral Home in Central Square from 3:00 to 7:00 pm on Monday, July 28th , with a brief service at 7:00 pm. There will be a celebration of life at the American Legion in Central Square to follow. All are welcome.

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