John Steven Detrick, 78, formerly of Bellefontaine, passed away March 3, 2025, in Arlington Heights, Illinois with family by his side.
John was born October 21, 1946, to the late Thomas and Hellen (Placke) Detrick in Bellefontaine, Ohio. He graduated from Bellefontaine High School in 1964, where he participated in athletics and choir. During high school, he was also heavily involved with Methodist Youth Fellowship through Bellefontaine First UMC. After high school, he attended Ohio Northern University and was a proud member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He married Valerie (Manning) Detrick in 1967 at a ceremony in Bellefontaine.
After graduating from Ohio Northern in 1968, John began a rewarding career in sales with the Campbell’s Soup Co., which took his family to multiple locations across the midwest as he won numerous sales awards. His finished a rewarding career by growing the global sales of Salix Animal Health into the world’s leading and largest vertically-integrated producer and distributor of premium pet treats and snacks. In his free time, he enjoyed skiing, playing golf, and jogging.
John retired soon after Salix Animal Health was acquired by Spectrum Brands, and spent his time with family, friends, and dogs. He enjoyed volunteering, playing golf, vacationing at his Florida home in Santa Rosa Beach, and following his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes. During the 2020 lockdowns, he began organizing daily Zoom meetings to assist others in their recovery. By 2022, he found comfort in sharing daily emails of his personal reflections of the Daily Readings. He continued writing and sharing his thoughts daily right up until his passing.
John is survived by his wife Valerie; son Robert of Tulsa, Oklahoma; son Andrew (Charity) of Marysville, Ohio, and two grandchildren, Pete and Sarah. He is also survived by his sister, Joyce Prater of Bellefontaine, as well as numerous in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews.
A private celebration of life for John will be held in Bellefontaine later in the year.
