Obituary of John Metellus

John Pierre Andre Metellus was born on June 29, 1963, in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, to Israel Metellus and Hugog Metellus, both deceased. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States along with his twin brother, Paul, in 1977. He grew up in Irvington, NJ, excelled at various sports, engaged in personal and professional hobbies, and loved to travel. John's natural affinity for engineering was apparent since his youth. He loved to tinker with electronics, found great pleasure in helping others and never rested until he overcame obstacles that stood in his path. John was meticulously pensive, loved to take on home projects, and was a selfless brother, uncle, father, and friend. His contentment came from helping others and providing care and support for all he knew and loved. John graduated from Irvington High School with honors and matriculated to Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. where he graduated with Bachelor’s of Engineering degree with a concentration in electrical engineering. During his time at Stevens, this humble servant was a student leader of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Black Student Union (BSU). He truly embodied NSBE’s mission “to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.” He developed and conducted various workshops for freshmen and sophomores, including his infamous Time Management workshop. John was also a member of STEP (Stevens Technical Enrichment Program) where he cultivated relationships with other like-minded individuals who were underrepresented in the field of engineering and mentored and supported many students. On the volleyball or basketball courts you might find him with his mentees or former classmates enjoying life and being a fine example. His Stevens and STEP FAMILIES will greatly miss him. John contributed greatly to his profession at Siemens Healthineers for almost 36 years. In 1987, he began his career as part of the original MRI service family, completing installations in the US and Europe at some of the very first commercial sites. In later years, John became a product manager. He supported both the mobile and intraoperative sides of the business in Iselin, NJ and in Malvern, PA. John was well respected not only within Siemens but also among the vendors he worked with through the years. He maintained a strong passion and dedication to his job and consistently went above and beyond to help his colleagues. His knowledge and commitment to mentoring others has left his friends at Siemens already feeling lost without him. Outside of the office or on work breaks, John enjoyed the challenges of the driving range, board games, and bowling where his skills earned him the nickname “Big Hook.” His broad, genuine smile, wicked sense of humor, and smooth dance moves will be deeply missed by his colleagues and friends. In October of 2003 Michelle and Jon attended a mutual friend’s Halloween party where they met briefly. But sparks flew and four years later in November 2007 John took Michelle away for her birthday. He finally popped the question. Michelle, knowing that John was a great man, said YES! Eight months later they were married in New Jersey at the court house. Two weeks after that they were off to St. Martin for a destination wedding where they said their vows again. After the wedding, John and Michelle immediately started to plan for a family. While preparing for their own child, they took great pleasure in helping to raise their niece and nephews, Azale, Mason and Sebastian Shannon. In 2014 they were blessed with the birth of a beautiful baby girl. They quickly became a loving family of three, and after a couple of years, Gianna officially became Gianna Metellus. John was a wonderful husband, and father. He loved his family whole heartedly. There was nothing that he wouldn’t do for them. He was intelligent, meticulous, thoughtful, generous, and kind. His bright smile, and loving personality will be greatly missed. John has left an indelible mark on everyone. We have all gained a Guardian Angel. John leaves to cherish his memory his wife Michelle Shannon, his daughter Gianna Metellus, brothers Paul and Harry, (Natasha) Metellus, nephew Joseph, nieces Oni, Miriam Metellus, and Naima Lester. Mother-in-law, Carol Shannon, brother-in-laws Matthew Shannon, Lorrie, Jason, and Nephtalie Ellis, Eric Carter, sister-in-laws Tracy, Christina, and Dawn Ellis, and a host of uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, dear friends, and his loving Siemens Family.