A loving family-oriented man known for his strong will and wit
WAKEFIELD — John Spindler of Wakefield passed away unexpectedly on October 27, 2022. He is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Marie (Donegan) Spindler, his children Alison Spindler-Ruiz and her husband Pedro of Calif., Christine Mishina and her husband Ryan of Wakefield and Kevin Spindler and his fiancé Carolyn Bird of Peabody. Cherished Papa of Evan, Lana, Brooke and Mia. Caring brother of William Spindler and his wife Mercedes of Fla. and Susan Wobser of AZ. Also survived by his daily caregiver and close friend Doreen, many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
John grew up in Methuen and attended Lowell Technological Institute and later received his MBA from Northeastern University. He met his wife Marie while they were in college, and their first date was to a Celtics game. They married in 1977, moved to Wakefield in 1980, raised their three children in Wakefield and have been residents here ever since.
John had a successful career in technology and business, mentoring countless people along the way. He earned many achievement awards in his more than 20 years with Hewlett-Packard, and played a key leadership role for the Massachusetts-based startup company HealthWyse. John brought his family together through his love, his love of music and cooking, and by cultivating their shared love for Boston sports teams, all of which he successfully passed on to his children and grandchildren.
Many in Greenwood and throughout Wakefield knew John for his coaching of youth soccer, helping to run WBA youth basketball, and starting an investment club for local girls to learn how to save and to invest their money. His friends and neighbors remember John’s frequent walks with his longtime canine companion Charlie, and his regular Seinfeld references.
In 2010, John had a very unusual type of stroke that left him with “locked-in syndrome.” Although his brain was not affected, the ability for the brain to control the body was severed, leaving him “locked-in” to his own body, unable to move or communicate. The condition is extremely rare, and when it first happened, doctors advised that John would probably not eat or communicate effectively again. They did not think he could recover enough to leave a facility. However, John had always been one to defy the odds, and this was no exception.
John’s strong will to live got him through the first few months after his stroke, during which time he and his family found ways to communicate such as through yes or no questions that he could respond to by blinking his eyes. At Spaulding John worked with some great therapists and became well enough to leave the acute rehabilitation center. But no rehab-nursing center would accept him. Finally, Epoch in Weston accepted him, and over several months a few extraordinary people at Epoch including Diane, Lisa, Kerrie, and Patty, changed John’s life. They gave him hope, and his dream to be able to eat, drink and better communicate. The team worked tirelessly with John for several months with frequent and challenging physical, occupational and speech therapies. Eight long months after his stroke, John was able to return home, where he continued to make gains. He was eventually able to eat three daily meals and drink liquids. Over the years he was supported by many great people including some extraordinary caregivers from Uganda. A specialized seating clinic at The Boston Home supported John over the twelve years after his stroke, not only to find the right wheelchair, but to develop creative solutions that enabled him to live a comfortable and healthy life at home. Cindy his nurse from NSPG and Dr. Magee from MGH were also invaluable partners in John’s medical care in recent years.
John continued with daily exercises and regained much of his ability to communicate through speech devices, and a Dynavox computer he controlled by using glasses with a special mouse, and by pushing himself to do frequent independent speech therapy. John had always been a technology aficionado, and he used his computer to surf the web, write emails, read books, keep up with news and finances, author a family cookbook, order gifts, organize calendars, and compose music playlists ranging from classic rock to a “daycare playlist” for his grandkids.
Some of John’s most precious memories were of spending time with his family, including a memorable trip to Ireland with Marie in 2009. He will be remembered for his goodness and devotion to his family, his unparalleled knowledge and know-how, his strong will and wit, his quiet confidence and his many dad jokes. His culinary Secret Ingredients will remain unconfirmed.
A Mass of Christian burial was held at Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Wakefield in October. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Boston Home at https://www.thebostonhome.org/how-to-help/donate1.html or by mail to 2049 Dorchester Ave., Boston, MA 02124. The donations will benefit the Boston Home’s seating clinic, which did so much for John. For those who would like to better understand what it is like to live with locked-in syndrome, the book “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” is a memoir by Jean-Dominique Bauby which describes the author’s life before and after he had a stroke that left him with locked-in syndrome.
