John Liebenthal Obituary

Dr. John S. Liebenthal

Oct 22, 1960 - Jul 29, 2025

Sandusky

Dr. John Scott Liebenthal was born on October 22, 1960, to Sally and Gary Liebenthal, who preceded him in death. His joy for life was infectious, and his humility was a guiding light for all who knew him. His positivity and zest for living were truly inspiring.

Never in his wildest dreams did John imagine that on July 29, 2025, he would ascend to Heaven. His family and closest friends are devastated and in shock by his sudden death; therefore, private family services have taken place. No one expected this tragic outcome when he went to FRMC with a stomachache. His last breath was in the arms of a male nurse, whom he deeply respected and admired. (I specifically added this detail because he said those very words to me on what would be our last phone call ever. It was God's Thumbprint, if you allow yourself to see them, we both did.)

John had an affinity for reading most any newspaper. One thing he never liked was reading obituaries that focused on a person's accolades. He was nostalgically sentimental, chuckling while reading about people's life stories and what made their lives so enjoyable. Most of this town knows that he was the sexiest, kindest, and gentlest foot doctor in Sandusky for 37 years, and had to attend several years of college to become one. I could list the schools he attended and his degrees, but he told me many times, "Please don't put that stuff in there about me. Nobody cares. I don't care anymore. I won't be there. They never mattered in the first place. I did what I loved doing when I was there. I want people to know who I was and what brought me the most joy and laughter in my life." To which his wife replied lovingly, but with a look on her face, "Why don't you write your OWN obituary then? It will take me forever because I won't be in the frame of mind to write well." Well, there you have it!

Trying to sum up John Liebenthal's life is not an easy task.

If there's one thing our family has heard over and over since July 29th, it's, "I've never heard John Liebenthal say an unkind word about anyone, ever." If you stop and think about it, it's true. He could always find something good in the crummiest of situations.

Family was paramount in John's life. Mark, Amy, and he were taught this early by their parents. They made a celebration out of any and every occasion. Dog's birthday? Let's make mini-meatloaves in the shape of doggy bonies for dinner, and put birthday cake candles in them for the dogs. Because who wouldn't?

John's sister, Amy, was just SIX years old when I met her brother. This memory is one of her favorites. "When I was about 8 years old and John was 16 or 17, he babysat me while my parents were at Card Club. While I was playing, I ran through the kitchen, knocking over a wooden peg rack that held four mugs, my mom's coffee mugs. They shattered. I was pretty sure my mom would murder me when she saw them. I was crying, so to make me feel better, John picked up all the pieces, got the super glue, and began gluing them all back together again. He got them all pieced back together, hung them back up on the rack, and we waited.

My mom didn't notice until she poured her coffee the next morning, and it was leaking out all over. We laughed about it many times over the years. It was definitely one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me."

In a rare twist of poetic fate, their mother did not once look at John and say, "JOHN, you used all the glue on PURPOSE!"

(John is a "Christmas Story" fanatic. The movie was filmed in 1983 while he was in college at CWRU.)

John's brother, Mark, offered these kind words: "I will always remember growing up with my brother and sister, and having two of the best parents anyone could ever hope for. John was the rock of the family, and everyone who ever met him will deeply miss him. It's truly been a wonderful life having the best big brother anyone could ever have."

Our niece, Julia, shared this heartfelt moment.

"I had a beautiful moment with Uncle John after Ian's wedding. I was crying in his chest about losing my dad, and he empathized, having lost his dad, too. He told me, 'It never gets better, but it gets easier.' I'm not religious; Uncle John was. And his words were true. Life after losing my dad has never been the same, and it's not "better" because my dad isn't here, but it has gotten easier. And I'll always appreciate his advice."

John starred in football as an offensive guard at both SHS and CWRU. He was named the defensive player of the year in his senior year at Sandusky High School. During his freshman year of college, he had the pleasure of beating his fellow 1979 SHS teammate and best friend, Dan Evans, who attended Harvard University, while he attended Princeton.

He was an AP small school All-American in 1982 and reached the pinnacle of his playing days by being named the local college football player of the year by the Cleveland Sports Committee. He enjoyed the distinction of sitting next to Lou Groza, a fellow offensive lineman and an NFL Hall of Famer for the Cleveland Browns, at the awards ceremony. John was inducted into the Sandusky High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2009, both for his athletic accomplishments and for his contributions to the community. He was an avid sports fan and outdoorsman. He loved the Trifecta of Cleveland sports, especially the Browns.

Football ran in his blood, and he easily passed it on to our sons. When Erik was about fourteen years old, John took him to the MN VIKINGS football camp, the thrill of a lifetime for Erik. He, on the other hand, was "elected" to be the camp parent of a group of rowdy young boys who loved Oatmeal Cream Pies, which I just happened to have packed. Erik always thought Dad was tall until he saw him standing between the Tice brothers!

When Gary started playing seventh-grade football, only to have his teachers/coaches go on strike, it was a grand opportunity for my husband to begin coaching with men he holds in high esteem to this day. A piece of advice he heard a coach, whose name was Joe McGee, once say stuck with him until the end:

"Go where you're wanted, not where you're tolerated." He used that advice on and off the football field in many life applications.

As adults, it got more serious! Our sons, Erik and Ian, needed one more person to join their Fantasy Football League, and so it began many years ago. We always made sure to make Draft Day a HOLIDAY, even though "The Sturzinator" refused to believe it was. Those were the days, my friends.

Some of the best memories in our kitchen are made simply from watching. Watching our sons and nephews banter over which Star Wars movie was the best brought both John and my brother, Jacker, so much joy- a person could light up a Christmas tree!

Family get-togethers were a priority, and he and Margot thoroughly enjoyed hosting them. Browns parties always involved leaving the family room with the big-screen TV and heading into the kitchen to watch them on the little TV, ensuring they would win the game, or at least come close and lose at the last second! They never won a game in the family room- well, until this year! John is not resting in Peace. He's in Heaven, cheering them on!

Nightly calls or visits with his parents were part of John's fiber. His joy-filled mother's Christmas spirit began in October and never waned. John carried on the same tradition. His mom always called him her Christmas Boy. Christmas 2024 started in October and lasted until the end of February. So, in the spirit of Christmas 2025, be sure to decorate early and leave them up as long as you like. Maybe, just maybe, you'll leave them up all year long. You'll just have to put them up next year anyway!

John's ability to ponder a situation before making rash decisions was uncanny. He had a particular "thinking face," and disliked making hasty conclusions regarding people or situations. For example, one sunny summer day, he was "pondering" with his best friend Farmer, trying to figure out how to make the water flow down the rocks of a waterfall. Our youngest son, Gary, strolled down to Farmer's backyard, took one look at it, and moved one tiny rock, and it flowed like magic. They looked at each other with only one thought: "BONEHEADS!

His dedication to his profession was unwavering. He did house calls in his early days and continued to do them for his other mom, "Mom Herold", as recently as a month before the moment no one will understand until we meet again. A fifteen-minute "let me look at your toe" really meant, I'll be home in an hour or an hour and a half!

He often told me how grateful he was to his parents for taking him to church on Sundays and how much he cherished his Sunday school memories. I am thankful for his parents right now, too, not only for giving birth to such an incredible person, but also for raising him in a loving Christian home.

John was a man of steadfast loyalty and kindness. He cherished the same best friends he had had for most of his life, a testament to his character and the value he placed on relationships. Sem-annual get-togethers with his podiatry colleagues, then classmates, Chip and Dan, turned into a friendship that has spanned decades. Yearly fishing trips to Canada, and the competition to see who could buy the cheapest lures to catch the most fish, bantering went on all year. (It's the pink ones!) Their hearts are as shattered as ours. Being physicians as well as best friends, they, too, find it impossible to grasp how this happened.

For those who care, I'm including this part for you. The list is extensive, so I hope this suffices. John was a 1979 graduate of Sandusky High School, Sandusky, Ohio. He attended Harvard University for his first year of college before transferring to CWRU and graduating in 1983 with a degree in biology. In 1987, he graduated from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, making the Dean's list all 4 years.

Because of the devotion and compassion he showed during his daily life, I would like to invite you to join our family in honoring his legacy by donating to The John S. Liebenthal Foundation. Your contribution will help continue the kindness and generosity that John embodied throughout his life. Every single day of his life, John treated everyone with kindness, no matter their background. This foundation is designed to inspire students who, like John, grew up without two nickels to rub together, but have dreams and the will to persevere. It will allow students at a young age to realize they have something to aspire to throughout their years in Sandusky City Schools.

Please make your checks payable to the Sandusky High School athletic office in care of the John S. Liebenthal Foundation.

During a disaster drill in the halls of Sandusky High School on March 20, 1977, John Scott Liebenthal and Margot Harten Waldock's eyes met. It was then that their incredible love story began. They were married on May 16, 1992.

John's spirit will live on through the lives of his three sons, Erik and his wife Oy, and their children Reagan and Henry, Ian and his wife Theresa, and their daughter Liliana, and Gary, and our son by choice, AJ. He also leaves to mourn this unbelievable loss, his siblings, Mark and Amy Liebenthal, his Uncles George Kreimes and Dale Liebenthal (Carole Romp), his original work staff who cherished going to work every day, Jan Wilson and Sally Galloway, and more appreciative patients than I can count.

Our family is deeply grateful to Groff Funeral Homes and Crematory for handling what was a complete shock to us with unimaginable dignity, respect, and a touch of humor. Thank you for allowing us to make his Celebration of Life such a personalized one, and one we know he was smiling upon.