John M. Martinelli, 30, of Asheville, N.C., formerly of Rostraver Township, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, at his home in Asheville. We will always remember Johnny as the uniquely special soul and spirit he was and so very gifted. We know those who met and knew him immediately sensed this. He had an absolutely brilliant mind, so very fast, always visions, ideas, projects, goals and he truly wanted to change the world for the better in ways we know only he could. He never stopped. This was the way he lived every day. He had so many fine qualities we will never forget. Highly ambitious, extraordinarily talented, articulate, well spoken, witty, charming, funny, not once negative but always incredibly positive and picking himself up no matter his circumstances. He did not have a mean or angry bone in his body, and many interests from music, DJ’ing and mixing, cars, recently attempting to decipher cryptocurrency and even the peaceful serenity of nature. Ultimately, his genuine kindness and striving to love and be loved we know was his greatest gift. He would want all of us to remember him this way most of all. While attending The Kiski School, Johnny became the national FBLA champion, number one in the country, arguably a prodigy for his early work in cybersecurity, which he received this recognition in Atlanta. He also went on to become the nation’s number one Young Entrepreneur of the Year as voted by the well-known national business and marketing group Kennedy & Glazier in Chicago. From this, at 18 years old, he traveled to London as a guest speaker for the TIME event discussing his work in online marketing and strategies. Johnny spent a semester at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, for which in typical Johnny style he said they couldn’t keep up with him, so he pursued developing his own cybersecurity and marketing businesses. We know he helped many businesses with his ideas and unique expertise. We want to thank his employer, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), specifically Mission Hospital of Asheville, N.C., which held a very special place in Johnny’s heart and our hearts. They recognized his extraordinary talents, including his information security expertise, and supported him in ways which we can never repay. Thanks also to Chip Palmer at Mission, which was there for Johnny when no one else was. Heartfelt thanks to all of you for what you did for him. Johnny knew this and was grateful. Johnny is survived by his father, Dr. John R. Martinelli and wife Melissa Verbanic Martinelli; grandfather, “Popo” Dr. John J. Martinelli of Rostraver Township; Uncle Dana Martinelli and wife Sheri of North Hills; mother, Jonny Otis Keyes of Arlington, Vt.; step-grandmother, Joyce Verbanic of Merrittstown; as well as his large extended family of friends, cousins, aunts and uncles who loved him. He was preceded by his loving grandmother, “Mimi” Patricia A. Martinelli. We will all forever greatly miss him. A tragic loss in our hearts. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, at Ferguson Funeral Home and Crematory Inc., 700 Broad Ave., Belle Vernon, 724-929-5300, www.FergusonFuneralHomeandCrematory.com. Funeral services will be in the funeral home at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 22. Interment will follow in Sylvan Heights Cemetery, Uniontown. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Johnny’s name to The Rathbun House of Mission Hospital, Asheville, N.C., a non-profit all volunteer home for families visiting critically ill loved ones, hosting families free of charge purely from charitable donations, https://www.wncbridge.org/give/rathbun-house-give.
