John C. Mumford

LOWVILLE-A memorial service for John Clyde Mumford, age 94, will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 27, 2022 at the First Presbyterian Church in Lowville.  Burial with Military Honors will follow in Old Glendale Cemetery.  A gathering at the Lowville VFW will immediately follow the graveside service, all are welcome.  He passed away on April 25, 2022 at the Lewis County Residential Health Care Facility.  Arrangements are with Iseneker Funeral Home, Inc., Lowville.

LOWVILLE-John Clyde Mumford, age 94, passed away on April 25, 2022 with his cherished daughter Mallory by his side. Formerly of Sunset Drive, he had been a resident of the Lewis County Residential Health Care Facility for the past several months.

John was born in Croghan, NY on November 5, 1927 to John Sylvester and Bernice O’Brien Mumford. A 1945 graduate of Lowville Academy, he attended Clarkson University at the request of his Grandfather O’Brien, who wanted him to become a lawyer. After completing one semester at Clarkson, he was drafted into the US Army to serve in World War II and sent to basic training in San Antonio, Texas. He was then stationed at Chanute Field in Illinois, with the intention of being trained to fly airplanes. In September 1946, John was deployed to Okinawa, Japan and served in the Army of Occupation. John’s favorite story from his days in the service was how he built a jeep in Okinawa out of spare parts, and having reached the rank of Corporal, was able to drive around the military base while the officers walked. He completed his tour of duty in February 1947, and was honorably discharged at Fort Dix in March 1947.

John attended SUNY College of Agriculture Technology at Morrisville from 1948-1950, where he earned a certificate in auto mechanics. In 1949, he acquired his parents’ 1929 Ford Model A Tudor. The car was originally purchased by his grandfather, Daniel O’Brien, who bought it for $125 at the Nortz and Virkler Ford Dealership. Inspired by a magazine article that featured GIs from California who had turned their vehicles into hot rods, John installed a 1937 flathead V-8 engine into the Model A and converted the mechanical brakes to hydraulics. His Model A was the first hot rod in the area, and it was the quickest car around.

After graduation, John worked for Menard’s Pontiac until 1959.  He then purchased his garage on South State Street, which became the iconic John Mumford Auto Service. He had the first, and to date, only Volvo dealership in Lewis County. The 1960s and 1970s saw a curiously healthy population of the little Swedish cars in and around Lowville. Upon his retirement in 1997, John sold his business. He was known for his good humor, honesty, integrity, and ability to fix anything.

John was well known as a connoisseur of antique cars. He belonged to many antique car clubs, including the Antique Automobile Club of America, the Black River Valley Car Club, the Early Ford V8 Club, and the Northern Cruisers. For many years, he and his lifelong friend Arel Brown chaired the annual antique car show at Constable Hall. John rebuilt several vintage cars over the years, using original parts when available and staying true to the original designs, right down to original showroom paint colors. He enjoyed driving his restored autos in local parades, often with a young family member or two in tow. Whether tooling around town in one of his antique cars, his 1949 Ford truck, his Willys Jeep, or one of a significant number of Volvos, he was easily recognized. He will be remembered fondly as a true icon of Lewis County.

In 1978 he married the former Linda Handy of Buffalo, and soon after purchased their home on Easton Street. John and Linda welcomed with great joy their only child, Mallory, in 1983. John considered his daughter his greatest accomplishment, and he delighted in watching her grow up. In 2008, he and Linda downsized to a smaller home on Sunset Drive.

John was a kind, gentle man with a loving, generous heart. His love for his hometown was well known. He loved history, especially local history. He knew many facts and statistics from earlier decades as if they had happened the day prior. His stories, always told in his quiet gentle voice, were captivating and never got old. He loved big band music, and was particularly fond of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. John was always happy to see an old movie or tv show, particularly anything related to WWII. He was a frequent patron of Lloyd’s of Lowville, where he enjoyed the food and the friendships.

He is survived by Linda, his beloved wife of 43 years, daughter and son-in-law, Mallory and Robert Augustus, Watertown, NY; one grandchild, Lauren; two sisters, Muriel Herzig (Doug) of Endwell, and Sharon Bolliver Wolf of Lowville; several nieces and nephews, their spouses, children and grandchildren. His brother, Brian, passed away in 2000.

The family would like to thank the loyal team of compassionate caregivers that allowed John and Linda to stay in their home as long as they did, as well as those on the second floor of the Lewis County Residential Health Facility who made John’s final days as comfortable and peaceful as possible.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Lowville Presbyterian Church on May 27, 2022. Burial with military honors will be at Old Glendale Cemetery, where his parents and brother rest in eternal peace. Calling hours are from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April 29, 2022 at Iseneker Funeral Home, Inc., Lowville.  In honor of John’s generous spirit, the family encourages friends to make a donation to a charity of their choice, in lieu of flowers.

Condolences may be made online at www.isenekerfuneralhome.com.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.