Dr. John Alva Herndon was born to parents Lois and Lee Herndon, in Buffalo New York, the second of seven children.

His formative years of schooling were in New York and Elizabethton, Tennessee.  He acquired a degree in physics at the University of Chicago and completed his formal education at the University of Tennessee with a PhD in Physics in 1957.  John had a long and successful career with Bell Laboratories, first in New Jersey and later in Illinois.

John married his childhood sweetheart, Ann in 1950.  John and Ann had five children beginning with Debbie, followed by Steve, Lois, Nancy and MaryBeth.  John was very proud that each child completed college with a degree.  Activities of family life were one of John's special joys.  The Herndon family home rang with the voices of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  John's workshop in the basement was a family destination for children to watch "Graddy" fix countless broken toys and objects. Sadly, after 61 years of a happy and fulfilling marriage, John lost his beloved wife Ann.

John and Ann loved to travel.  When the children were young, trips centered on extended family visits.  As the children grew John and Ann broadened their travels in discovery of the world.  John enjoyed photography and Ann's scrapbooking capabilities combined to document their many travels.

John and Ann joined First Presbyterian Church in Wheaton soon after establishing their Wheaton home, becoming close friends with many other church members.  John supported numerous church activities including the creation of an audio-visual team which has endured over the decades.  John also became the Clerk of the Session, an honored and important role in the church community.

John married a fellow church member, Emily Schmitz, in 2017.   This union began a new chapter for John, as the couple had many common interests.  These included travels, attending musical concerts, adult educational opportunities, and especially getting together with family and friends.  They established a new home perfectly suited to their new life as a couple.   John kept up with his interest in science and discovery, finding new means of accessing information such as streaming.

John is preceded in death by his parents, Lois and Lee Herndon, his brothers Lee Herndon, James (Jim) Herndon, Roger Herndon, William (Bill) Herndon, his beloved wife, Ann Burnett Herndon.  John is survived by his wife, Emily, sister Ann Hoeke, brother Robert Herndon, children Deborah (John) Isenberg, Stephen (Laurel) Herndon, Lois Williams, Nancy (Patrick) Goodwin, and MaryBeth (Keith) deBolt.  John is also survived by fifteen grandchildren: Will deBolt, Quinn deBolt, Annabelle deBolt, Nathan Goodwin, John L Herndon, Christie Herndon, Grace Goodwin Heiting, Stephen Isenberg, Lisette Isenberg, Karl Isenberg, Rachel Williams Lund, Kate Isenberg Parker, Melissa (Missy) Williams Wajda, Daniel Williams, and David Williams, and thirteen great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton, 715 N Carlton Ave, Wheaton, IL 60187, on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 11:30 a.m.

Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at 630-668-0027.