John C. McGuire, 52, of Bethlehem Township, passed away on Thursday, March 2, 2023 surrounded by his family, following a long and courageous battle with leukemia. Born in Scranton on June 27, 1970, he was the son of the late John W. and Nancy (McDowell) McGuire. John and his wife, Maura (Zajac) McGuire celebrated their 27 ^th wedding anniversary in November.

John graduated from Scranton Preparatory High School in 1988 and earned his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Scranton in 1991. John worked for Nationwide Insurance, the William Cary Agency, and KidsPeace National Hospital before finding his true vocational calling at Access Services, where he became the assistant director for foster care services.

He was devoted to his family and found great joy in spending time with his wife and sons, who were the center of his world. John enjoyed his adventures with the family's now-departed dog, Mac, and new puppy, Jasper. He was very close with his extended family and friends, who were a constant source of support throughout his illness and embraced his mantra of "Believe!".  John was a member of Sacred Heart of Bethlehem Catholic Church, where he was a frequent volunteer for CYO activities and events at the former parish school. He spent eleven years volunteering his time to the Freemansburg-Bethlehem Township Athletic Association, where he held many positions including President, Player Agent, and Senior Field Commissioner, and he was honored as a lifetime member. John spent many years coaching wrestling for the Notre Dame Little Crusaders youth program. He served as the President of the Notre Dame-Green Pond High School Booster Club.  John took great pride in serving as the head wrestling coach for Notre Dame-Green Pond High School and experiencing the revitalization of the program. He thoroughly enjoyed the enthusiasm and camaraderie in the Lehigh Valley wrestling community. John loved working out at the local gym, where he frequently ran into people he knew through his coaching and volunteer activities.

John will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Maura; sons Connor and wife Megan (Knarr) of Philadelphia, and Ryan of West Chester; sister Mara and husband Stanley Marczyk of Absecon, NJ; brother Kevin and wife Meghan McGuire of Ashland, MA; a loving family of nephews, uncles, aunts, and cousins; and friends.

Calling hours will be held on Monday, March 6, 2023 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Morello Funeral Home, Inc. 3720 Nicholas Street, Easton (Palmer Twp.), PA.  An additional calling hour will be held at the funeral home on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, from 9:15 am to 10:15 am.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 11:00 am at Sacred Heart of Bethlehem Church, 1817 1 ^st Street, Bethlehem, PA 18020, followed by burial at Holy Savior Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in John's memory to support the Bone Marrow Clinic at Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111, online gifts: Foxchase.org/donate (Please note that gift is in memory of John C. McGuire). Online condolences may be offered at www.morellofuneralhome.com