Obituary: John Franklin Durant Jr., 1941-2024 

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• Courtesy
• John Durant, Jr.

John Franklin Durant Jr., 83, passed away peacefully on July 28, 2024, surrounded by his family.

John was born on February 7, 1941, to John and Helen Durant. He grew up in Warwick, R.I., joined the U. S. Coast Guard and later graduated from Syracuse University. John settled down in his adopted hometown, Richmond, Vt.

John is survived by his family, who knew him as warmhearted and loving. He was Pam Durant's caring husband. John was previously married to Barbara Dupont, with whom he was a wonderful father to two children, Matt and Ben Durant. He was a loving father-in-law to Christina (Matt’s wife) and Amy (Ben’s wife) and grandfather to five grandchildren: Adelaide, Madeline, Eloise, Maximilian and Truman. He always took the time to share small wonders, stories from his youth, deep talks about life and impassioned discussions about politics.

John taught history in Peru, N.Y., for 29 years. He often spoke of his wonderful colleagues and was proud of his impact on students' lives. John taught his students to be better citizens by listening to one another, coming to consensus and being open to other perspectives. He engaged them with trips to Revolutionary War sites and the Upper Canada Village. He would even bring students on adventures to go fishing, make apple cider, take a ride in his Model A Ford or try ski jumping.

On Monday, August 5, 2024, we held a celebration of John’s life at the Essex Community Church, 2306 Lake Shore Rd., Essex, NY 12936, from 1 to 3 p.m. All were invited to bring pictures of themselves and John, their singing voices, and a story to share about John.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to John’s favorite charity, the Vermont Food Bank.