Dr. John Horch passed away on April 4, 2021 at the age of 83. John is survived by his wife, Candace, and three children, Edward, Stephanie and Tyler.

Over 40 years ago, John began his Red Cross story by donating blood and platelets after his daughter required lifesaving blood. Nearly two decades later, he hosted his first blood drive at his local church, St. John’s Catholic Church of Madison, Alabama. At the time of his death, John had hosted over 135 blood drives and had encouraged other organizations set up blood drives too.

In his 24 years of service, he worked to run successful blood drives, promote blood donation and ensure products were available for patients in need. In 2018, John was honored at the Red Cross Gala as the Blood Services Hero for generously donating nearly 600 gallons of blood and platelets. In addition to his blood services role, John passionately served as a front desk associate three days a week since 2016.

Marianna Fite, business operations coordinator and volunteer supervisor, North Alabama chapter, worked closely with John. She said, “He could walk into a room and connect with anyone. Whether you talked to him for five minutes or five hours, he made an impact. He was an amazing person, volunteer, and friend.” His commitment to the Red Cross was unmatched, he was passionate about helping others and refused to let anything or anyone stand in his way. John was well-known for his warmth, organizational expertise, and cheeky sense of humor.

John has forever left his mark on the world and we are better because of the time we spent with him.  He will be remembered as a beacon of light and esteemed member of our Red Cross family.

Information about funeral services and more about John’s life can be found here: Dr. John Horch.

Our hearts are forever saddened by the loss of such a extraordinary volunteer and friend. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.