John “JJ” Jasper

John “JJ” Jay Jasper, 75 of Zanesville, formerly of Blue Rock, passed away peacefully on July 31, 2025, at Clay Gardens Place in Zanesville. He bravely confronted dementia, heart disease, and cancer. A beloved father, papaw, and friend. John touched the lives of many with his wisdom and unwavering dedication to helping others.
He was born on March 5, 1950, in Zanesville, Ohio, son of the late Ralph E. Jasper and Goldie (White) Jasper. John was the youngest of three boys. He looked up to his older brothers, Denny and Ralph, and loved to share stories of their earlier days. In his younger years, John was a manager at the Times Recorder. He then followed his dreams and became a police officer and detective at the Zanesville Police Department, where he served our community for over 30 years. Upon retirement, he served as a bailiff for Judge Joseph for several years. He was a member of the Zanesville Charity Newsies, Elks Lodge #114, and the Fraternal Order of Police (Lodge #5).
John was a history lover and had an overwhelming amount of knowledge to share. His favorite pastimes were spending time with family and reading or watching Westerns. He had enough books to open his own library (true story)! He frequently visited the library and loved to go on outings to Ollie’s and Sonic. Watching the deer was where you could often find him. One of his favorite hobbies was planning for storms and power outages. He had enough canned goods, water, flashlights, and candles for any disaster! He followed the weather very carefully on weather radios and always made sure his family was safe, protected, and equipped with emergency kits. His family will forever think of him when it storms.
John is survived by his 2 daughters: Stacy Sheppard and Sommer (Steve) Vansickle; 7 cherished grandchildren, who were the light of his life: Conner Sheppard, Clara Pettit, Carson Pettit, Casen Pettit, Caiden Sheppard, Adelynne Vansickle, and Bryntlie Vansickle; he also leaves behind his best friend and mother of his children, Cheryl Wilson; lifelong best friend, Mike Watton; several nieces, nephews cousins, and friends who love him dearly.
In addition to his parents, John is preceded in death by his brothers, Dennis Jasper and Ralph Jasper; nephews, Danny Jasper and David Jasper.
John lived his life with bravery, integrity and deep love. His presence was a guiding light to many in this world and his legacy will live on in the hearts of all who had the privilege to know and love him.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly request donations to be made to the Dementia Society of America http://www.dementiasociety.org/donate. The family is eternally grateful for all of the loving staff at Clay Gardens Place and Genesis Hospice for the care and guidance they provided during this difficult time. A heartfelt thanks to his special caregivers, Jess “Jett” Henderson and Lilly “Lilly Pad”.
A brief memorial service to honor John’s life will take place on Tuesday August 5, 2025, from 12:30 – 1:00 PM, at DeLong-Baker & Lanning Funeral Home, where services will be held with Pastor Steve Harrop officiating. A celebration of life reception will follow at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge in Zanesville, where friends and family are welcome to share stories and fond memories with one another.
To sign the online guestbook please visit www.delongbakerlanning.com