John Charles Stevenson, Jr, 59, of Lewiston, Maine, (formerly Chambersburg, Pennsylvania) passed away on May 19, 2026. He died peacefully at the Sussman Hospice House in Rockport, Maine, after an unexpected and brief battle with cancer.  John, affectionally known by close family as “John John”, was born on April 2, 1967 in Tallahassee, Florida to John C. Stevenson Sr and Kathaleen (Smith) Stevenson. The family moved to Pennsylvania a couple of years later and his sister was born shortly thereafter. John was a carefree youth who loved music, hanging out with friends, and spending time outdoors.

John was an avid guitar player from an early age and continued to play guitar and challenge himself to learn new pieces up to the end of his life. He loved an wide array of genres, from Bach to Black Sabbath, and owned multiple guitars (acoustic, classical, and electric). He was given a red Fender guitar as a gift in this later years that he treasured immensely, having wanted one since he was a teenager.

John graduated from Chambersburg Area High School high school in 1985. He spent a couple of years in California playing guitar and studying music theory before moving back to Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Shippensburg University in 2000. He went on to work a variety of jobs before settling on working in healthcare caring for disabled individuals, and later as a Certified Nursing Assistant at a nursing home. John’s calm demeaner, patience, and compassionate nature made him a natural fit for this field and position.

John married at the age of 40 and although only married a few years, he remained friends with his ex-wife and considered the time spent with her and his stepson some of his most blessed years During this time, John moved to Colorado to be near his sister. He lived in Colorado for almost 10 years and enjoyed spending time with his sister and her family, and seeing his nieces grow up. John moved back to Chambersburg at the age of 52 and lived with a dear friend from childhood for a couple of years. He was very happy during this time and was quite saddened by the sudden loss of his close friend in 2021. He shortly thereafter moved to Maine to be close to his sister who had moved there recently. He remained in Maine until his passing. John liked the place where he lived and the many interesting friends whom he met while living there. John also loved spending time with family, especially big family dinners and day trips to the Maine coast.

John was challenged with health issues for a large part of his life, but he did not complain and did the best he could with his situation. He suffered a massive heart attack at the age of 35 and later received a life-saving heart transplant at the age of 43. Although his gifted heart performed well, his past heart failure contributed to multiple other conditions and his transplant made him susceptible to other illnesses, including cancer. He ultimately passed away from gallbladder cancer.

John will be remembered as kind soul who loved his family very much and had a deep acceptance and compassion for those less fortunate. John is survived by his parents, sister, Melanie (Stevenson) Davis, brother-in-law, Richard Davis Jr, and two nieces, Sydney and Genevieve Davis, and many extended family members and friends.

Special thanks to the staff at the Sussman Hospice House for their kindness and compassionate care of John during his final days. A private family celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to honor John through a simple act of kindness or by holding those you love a little closer.  Memories and condolences may be shared with his family on his tribute wall.