John Monroe

Born to parents, the late Herman and Maggie Monroe in Farmville, Virginia on June 4, 1932, and oldest of six siblings. John is survived by his two sisters Louise Pierce and Elizabeth Pierce and preceded in death by Harry, Richard, Virginia, and Martha. John attended school and graduated from Robert R. Morton High School. He was drafted into the US Army in 1952 during the Korean war and earned a Battle Star for gallant action on Monks Hood and is a decorated Army Veteran. After his honorable military discharge, he enrolled at St. Paul’s Polytechnic Institute in Lawrenceville, Virginia where he met Millie Warren, who became his faithful wife of 57 years until her death in 2013. John earned his B.S. degree in Industrial Education and graduated from St Paul’s Polytechnic Institute in 1961. He began teaching at Gresham Elementary School in Suffolk as a Math/Science/PE teacher to 6th and 7th graders. In 1963 he transferred to Southwestern High School as an Industrial Arts teacher and became Assistant Principal. In 1967 he continued his career at Forest Glen High School as an Industrial Arts/Technology Education teacher. Always a lifelong learner, John earned a Master of Arts degree in Administration & Supervision from Hampton Institute and Certification in Industrial Arts Education; a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Technology Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, an Advanced Graduate Studies Certification in Energy Conservation & Technology Education from Virginia Commonwealth University; as well as completing course work at Old Dominion University and the University of Virginia. During his teaching career, John served as Chair of the Suffolk Technology Teacher’s Association, Department Chairperson at Lakeland and Forest Glen High Schools and Advisor to Industrial Arts/Technology Student Associations. He helped to recruit new teachers for Suffolk Public Schools at the Southeastern Technology Education Conference and Old Dominion. Not ready to retire, John continued working as a supervisor of Student Teachers at Old Dominion University and a Consultant to the Technology Student Association for Chesapeake Public Schools. He succeeded as a Technology Education teacher at Lakeland High School from 1990 until his retirement in 1997. John maintained membership in numerous professional organizations at the State, National and International levels. A viewing will be held June 8, 2023, 3:00 – 6:00 pm in the Melvin J. Blowe Chapel of Crocker Funeral Home. A celebration of life will be held Friday, June 9, 2023, East End Baptist Church, 1056 Portsmouth Blvd. Suffolk, VA. 12:00 pm. He will be laid to rest in Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery. Professional services with dignity have been entrusted to Crocker Funeral Home, Inc. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John Monroe, please visit our flower store.