John Klinge of Wayland died at his home Sunday, Dec. 17, He was 47.

John enjoyed swimming, paddleboarding and boating. He also enjoyed tending to his vegetable garden and planting flowers around his home. His personal paradise was at “the beach” on Cobb Lake, where he would spend hours watching the waves, enjoying family and friends, and hosting bonfires on the shore.

John was a mechanic (not by trade, but by heart); he could fix or build just about anything and always spent time working on both his cars and his family’s cars.

He loved his family and especially his kids – he dedicated his life to each of them. There are many fond memories of John with his kids — skiing, tubing and even painting his daughters’ nails.

John is survived by his children Faith (Adis Poljak) Klinge, John “JT” Klinge Jr., Grace Klinge; parents Bob and Peggy Klinge; siblings Heather (Todd) Ritchie, Kim (Brian) Bollone, Jill (Clint) Messer, Amy (Brian) Crittendon, Amber (Matt) Longstreet, Tiffany (Ryan) Kimmel; and many nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.

John was preceded in death by his grandparents, Robert and Ruth O’Neill and Beatrice and Herman Klinge.

A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, at Peace Church, 6950 Cherry Valley Road, Middleville, with visitation from 10 to 10:45 a.m. prior to the service.