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Mogadore dad inspires At 91, even Parkinson's can't slow him down

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Deb Guziak
June 17, 2007

By Deborah Guziak

Record-Courier staff writer

MOGADORE -- Every day is a new adventure for John Raddish. Despite Parkinson's disease, he's a great cook, plows his gardens, does his own laundry, plants flowers and vegetables -- especially corn -- and mows six acres of grass.

He's sharp as a tack, has a keen sense of humor and does 40 push-ups a day.

He's also 91 years old.

He's lived at his home -- located on 14 acres of land -- for 50 years, and lived "down the road" prior to that. His home -- located at the end of a long gravel driveway -- is immaculate. Pictures of his family and of himself hang on the walls. A chess game waits for him on his computer, and in a room just past his library is a hot tub.

"The whole family loves to come here and have cookouts," said his daughter, Susan Litherland, as she walked along the manicured lawn spotted with trees.

Raddish, who walked at a brisk pace, pointed out his plants -- lemon balm, hostas, chives and a host of others. A multi-level bird house stands in the middle of one small garden. Fire has charred one side of the house.

"I was lighting cherry bombs," he said. "I lit one and threw it and this bird picked it up and carried it into the birdhouse. Then it blew up."

"That's just a story, Dad," Litherland said, admitting that her father does love to light fireworks, but she doubted the bird story.

Raddish has two very large vegetable gardens. On a recent day, he was angry that deer ate the tender parts of his potatoes and broccoli, meaning he'll have to replant, although he said the potatoes should "make it."

He tills the land using a walk-behind rototiller -- known by Raddish as a "man killer" -- and family members consider it an honor to help him plant seeds.

"I planted these two rows one week, these two rows a week later," he explained, pointing to rows of corn that he planted over a span of about five weeks. "I do that so we have corn all summer long."

"Gardening is his hobby," Litherland said.

"It's not my hobby; it's my curse!" Raddish quipped.

Raddish was 16 when he graduated from high school in 1932.

"It was the deepest pit of the Depression," he said. "Roosevelt was president. You couldn't get a job."

He did get a job, however, at Robinson Clay where he made 47 cents an hour. He eventually became a foreman.

"Because I was one of two people who could read and write," he joked.

Later, he took a job with Goodyear Aerospace in quality control. He talked of a 13-month strike, which resulted in an 11-cent raise.

Widowed for several years, he has three children -- Litherland, and Sam and Tom Raddish. He also has grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He's a staunch Mogadore sports fan. After many years, he still loves to go the football games to watch his beloved Wildcats team.

"I really go to check out the cheerleaders," he said.

Everyday, he calls his sister-in-law to get a word for their daily anagram game. They set a goal for the number of words that can be formed from the word of the day. A yellow tablet sat on the table; the word "coating" printed across the top.

"I have 15 words so far," he said. "Can you think of anymore?" The maximum word count was 39, but it was still was morning, leaving Raddish the entire afternoon to find more words.

He leaned back in his chair.

"I don't think I've done anything special," he said. "I just live my life."

But there's more than that. He is an inspiration to many who meet him, and he is treasured by his family.

"Your sense of humor and wit is absolutely a delight," Litherland said. "You're bright as a tack and you do so much. Who wouldn't be inspired?"




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