Obituary: John Gerard Niehaus, 29, of Danvers

Obituary from C.R. Lyons and Sons Funeral Directors.

John Gerard Niehaus, 29, of Danvers, dearly loved son of Jeffrey and Margaret Niehaus, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on Monday, February 16, 2015 in his parents’ home where John also lived.

Born in Danvers, John was mostly home schooled although he attended Dunn Middle School in the eighth grade and St. John’s Prep as a freshman. He graduated homeschool and attended Gordon College for two years.

John suffered sexual abuse when he was 10 years old, which led to PTSD and later to a period of drug abuse. John was working on his recovery and was faithful in attending and serving at NA meetings in the area. He did part time work in local restaurants, but his recovery was his full time job. John loved and helped many others inside and outside NA as a friend and counselor. He was gentle, made people laugh, was an encourager, and challenged people to live honestly. He loved animals, especially dogs, and hoped someday to do animal rescue work.

John is survived by his parents, his brother and sister in law, Paul and Lauren Niehaus, and their son, Braden, who live in San Diego, and by his much loved pug, Tristan. John devoted serious time to prayer in the last months of his life, and increasingly sought to help and be a blessing to others.

His Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, March 1, 2015 at 3 p.m. in the First Church of Danvers, Congregational, 41 Centre St., Danvers. Relatives and friends are invited. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Northeast Animal Sheliter, Highland Ave., Salem, MA 01970, online at https://secure.northeastanimalshelter.org/memorial-tribute.php.