Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory

John Hanifin
1947 – 2024

John Hanifin of Edgewater, MD lost his lifelong battle with bipolar disorder on July 9th, 2024. He was 77. John lived a brave and strong life, overcoming a childhood of limited means and family tragedy to find some measure of happiness in work, music, and life-long friendships.

John grew up in Cumberland, MD. His parents divorced when he was very young. When he was 17, both of his parents died within six weeks of each other. After graduating from high school, he moved to the Washington, DC suburbs to live with his sister and her husband.
Despite the disadvantages he was burdened with, John went on to lead an interesting and successful life. As a young man, he worked as a lineman for the telephone company, a job that he really loved. He also worked in home construction and remodeling. He had an incredible gift for understanding how things worked, and this skill gave him the ability to build or fix almost anything. He did carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, worked on cars and trucks, and over the years, he bought and renovated several houses.

John’s real passion, though, was for music. As a teenager, he taught himself to play the guitar. In the 1980s he started a band called JB Chance, where he played lead guitar. The band played over four hundred gigs in suburban Maryland over several years. In recent years, he and his life partner, Janet Nagler, would perform together at open mic nights, singing and playing oldies from the 1950s and 60s.

John Charles Hanifin was born on May 12, 1947, in Cumberland, Maryland to Lola Catherine Rinker and John Virgil Hanifin. He is survived by his partner, Janet Nagler, two daughters, and a sister. He was predeceased by his brother, Blaine Hanifin. His marriage to Janet Lyon Litzenberger ended in divorce. A second marriage also ended in divorce.

A celebration of John’s life will be held on Friday, September 6, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, at Yellowfin Restaurant, 2840 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, MD. Formal remarks will begin around 1:30, and all are welcome. The dress is casual, as John would have wanted.

Condolences for the family can be made by using the memories tab on this page.

John C. Hanifin

John C. Hanifin

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