BENNINGTON, Vt. — John A. Roach, 87, of Bennington, Vt., formerly of Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., and Crystal Lake, Ill., passed away on March 11, 2019, from complications due to a hip fracture. In his final days at Albany Medical Center, he whispered to his daughter-in-law from his bed, "The secret is to love everybody."

John was born on July 26, 1931, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Edward Thomas Roach and Mayme Turner Roach. His wife of 54 years, Nancy Bird Roach, passed away in 2007.

After graduating from Dearborn High School in 1949, where he was an all-state track and cross country runner, John attended the University of Michigan. After commencement with a degree in communications, he enlisted in the Army, which sent him to Fort Leonard Wood to become a mechanic with the 6th Armored Division. While transiting to Korea, an officer in Seattle noticed his broadcast training and rerouted him to Japan, where John managed the Armed Forces Radio station at Miho Air Base. He was joined by his wife Nancy, who accepted the job as the base school teacher, where she was given privileges to the Officer's Club, while her husband, an enlisted man, could only accompany her as her guest.

After leaving the service, John worked in radio and television in Saginaw, Mich., and Cleveland, Ohio, directing local shows. Cleveland's Tim Conway's audition tape for Carol Burnett was among several notable projects. To earn extra money, John worked weekends as a cameraman for CBS football broadcasts and golf tournaments across the midwest.

In 1968, John became a director and producer for the Detroit advertising firm, WB Doner, where he helped create legendary campaigns and commercials such as Dow's "Scrubbing Bubbles," Ball Park Franks' "Plump When You Cook 'Em," Faygo's "Remember When You Were a Kid" and, most famously, Tootsie's "How Many Licks Does it Take to get to the Center of a Tootsie Pop."

From the mid 1970s through the turn of the century, John founded two companies, Roach and Rheinhardt and Roach Communications. His biggest client was General Motors, where he assisted in the creation and implementation of the jointly developed Quality Network, the GM/UAW Total Quality Management system. He officially retired in 2001.

Aviation was the great passion of the second half of John's life. After earning his private pilot's license, he flew small planes for more than 30 years. During retirement, John volunteered thousands of hours a year for the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wisc., living at the airport for half the year working in the Fab Shop and museum, as well helping introduce kids to the joy of flying via the EAA’s Young Eagles program.

He was known for his hangar parties at Wittman Regional Airport during the EAA's annual AirVenture convention where he stored and worked on his 1940s era Ercoupe. His last convention was in 2016.

John was predeceased by his wife Nancy; brother Thomas Roach; and sister Marilyn Rossmeisll.

He is survived by his sister, Sally Janke; his brother, Michael Roach; his sister Marti Roach; his four children and their spouses, Nancy A Roach of Hood River, Ore., John P Roach of Minneapolis, Minn., Catherine Ballew of Woodland, Wash., and Greg Roach of North Adams, Mass.; as well as 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild on the way.

Funeral notice: A gathering of friends and family will be held later this year in Oshkosh, WI. The family asks that donations be made to your favorite charity.