John Siple, 66, of Rochester, died Saturday after a short battle with pancreatitis.

He was born in Austin, in 1947, to Everett and Lilly Siple and moved to Rochester as a child. He attended Golden Hill Elementary School and graduated from John Marshall High School in 1965. After spending two years at Rochester Community College, he went to Mankato State University, where he earned a degree in accounting. After gradu­ating from college, John spent two years in the Army. In 1972, he married JoAnn Molitor. They were married for 41 years and had four children. John worked as an accountant and had been happily retired since 2012.

John was a caring, fun-loving father, grandfather and husband. He enjoyed taking his grandchildren to the park and planning family vacations, and was always up for a good game of Horse in the driveway. It required a minor miracle for him to miss any of his family's activities. John was also a loyal friend to many people, including lifelong school friends who reunited regularly and a tight group that played tennis and racquetball together.

He was also an avid and optimistic sports fan who always believed the Twins would make the World Series, even when on the brink of mathematical elimination. As a young man, John pitched for several area baseball teams, including the Rochester Royals. After his baseball years, he became an enthusiastic tennis and racquetball player, right up until the week he became ill.

John is survived by his wife, JoAnn; four children, Julie, Justin (his wife, Leah and their children, Isabel, 9 and Owen, 4), Joe (his wife, Anne and their children, Maya, 8 and Lily, 6), Jeff (his wife, Beth and his son, Isaac, 3 months); sister, Barb Kallstrom; and a large extended family.

A celebration of his life will take place with a visitation Thursday, Dec. 26, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Church of the Res­urrection, with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m., and Friday, Dec. 27, at 10 a.m., visitation and 11 a.m. funeral Mass at Church of the Resurrection, 1600 11th Ave. S.E. in Rochester. Lunch to follow.