John Lewis Temple

John L. "Johnny" Temple died at his home in Avon, on Sept. 1, 2016.

He was born March 15, 1922, in North Vernon to parents Blanchard Temple and Lucille Grinstead Temple. He graduated from North Vernon High School in 1940, and moved to Indianapolis.

He served in World War II with the 85th Custer Division, in the Signal and Supply Corp, and served in Africa and Italy.

In 1948, he met Ella E. Army, whom he called "Army" for the rest of their lives. They were married on Jan. 29, 1949. They had two daughters, Karen and Johnny Darlene.

On April 1, 1950, he opened Temple Hardware on East Washington Street in Indianapolis. Several years later, in addition to sales, he began to rent lawnmowers. He made more from the rental of lawn mowers than he did from sales and began to expand into other rentals. Temple Rents was the first tool rental in the state of Indiana. In the 1990s, he sold the business to his good friend Charlie Copas, who still operates the business on West Washington under the Temple Rents name.

With the assistance of a friend, he built a 44-foot houseboat, beginning with the sheet metal for the hull, and enjoyed it for many years at Dale Hollow. He was a licensed pilot, and owned his own airplane, which he frequently flew to Florida for vacations. He and his wife Army loved to travel. Their adventures included Europe, Africa, Russia, China and Egypt. They rode snowmobiles in Upper Michigan and Yellowstone. They rode a motorcycle for many years, and visited all 48 contiguous states via motorcycle. He was especially proud of their trip to Alaska, the 49th state, in 1984, at the age of 62.

He was a proud member of the Masons and a Shriner for over 50 years.

He loved life and frequently said that he worked hard and played hard. He believed in values such as honesty, and hard work, and integrity, and he taught these values to his children and grandchildren. He was a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Course, and a great believer in its principles and teachings.

His wife "Army" passed away in 2008. He is survived by his daughters, Johnny Darlene Borden and her husband Alan Borden, and his daughter Karen K Temple and her husband Ben Dulaski. He is also survived by his three grandchildren, Johnny and Alan's daughter, Karyl Bierwagen and her husband Brad Bierwagen, and Karen's children Scott Robertson and Stephanie Robertson. He is also survived by three great-grandchildren, Grace and Norah Bierwagen, and Willem Robertson.

A memorial will be held on Monday, Sept. 12 at noon at Conkle Funeral Home, 76 N. Avon Ave., Avon, IN 46123. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon, prior to the memorial. The family requests that everyone come back to the farm after the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Shriners Hospitals for Children.