John H. Viens

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

John H. Viens, 71, of Bainbridge died Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 at his home from pancreatic cancer.

The son of Jean F. Viens and Corrine Mason Viens, he was born and raised in Lynn, Mass. and graduated from Lynn English High School. He was active in the National Guard and also worked at Harvard Paleontology Lab. John also took classes at and worked part time for the Boston Museum of Science, until he joined the Army. His service enabled him to work with the Nike Missile, Nike Hercules and Nike Zeus systems, also teaching computer system operations to battery and field grade officers.

Upon completing his service in 1960, Mr. Viens worked along the Golden Semi Circle area of Boston at Raytheon & Company and Sylvania Corporation research divisions. He then married his wife, a native of El Paso, Texas, in January 1961, living in Massachusetts. They relocated to New Hampshire in 1968, Connecticut in 1972 and finally settled in Indiana in 2001.

John suffered a heart attack in 1985 and retired after bypass surgery in 1992. He received a heart transplant in 2000 and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in November 2007.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Marian Jarvis Viens, son John "Ziggy" Veins of Van Nuys, Calif., daughter Nannette Gilliland of Plainfield and grandchildren Aemon Viens, Quinn Viens and Sean Gilliland.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints Greencastle Branch, 280 E. CR 200S, Greencastle. Burial will be at Bainbridge Cemetery, followed by a gathering at the Bainbridge Municipal Building.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Heifer International, P.O. Box 6021, Albert Lea, MN 56007-6621, online at www.heifer.org/gift or 800-422-0755.

Servies and Morgan Funeral Home in Roachdale was chosen to assist with the arrangements. Online condolences may be made at serviesmorgan.com.