John S. Markota

BOARDMAN - John S. Markota, 70, passed away Aug. 3, 2026, from advanced small cell lung cancer. What felt like a long battle was all too short. Refusing to let his illness define him, he continued to invoke smiles and joy in all those around him until his final conscious hours. It was often said his ability to make people laugh is how he avoided any real trouble in his seven decades of life.

John was born Oct. 18, 1955, the son of Croatian parents, Tadija and Janja Ragus Markota. As the baby of the family, his siblings would say he was the favorite (and he was). John attended Sts. Peter & Paul Elementary School, where he used to sneak under the fence to go get ice cream during recess. He later graduated from Struthers High School and took great pride in being a Wildcat. John was involved in student council and loved playing softball with his friends and brothers. He was an outfielder with an arm like a cannon.

Like many in the community, including his father before him, he went to work at Youngstown Sheet and Tube after graduating high school. Following Black Monday, he went on to work at Republic Steel in Canton until he retired in 2000.

John loved all things poker, horse racing, Las Vegas, mafia history (though any firsthand knowledge of it went with him to the grave), and Frank Sinatra’s, “My Way.” Most of all, he cherished the close-knit bonds he built with his chosen family. 

John was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Angela Finamore; and his partner and love of more than 25 years, Bonnie Beam.

He is survived by his daughter, Aubrey (Matt Maroon) Markota, and her mother, Debbie Morgan, as well as Bonnie’s children, whom he loved as his own: Lisa (Mike Sauger) Beam and Bob (Toni) Beam. He is also survived by five grandchildren, Regan (Dakota) Wetzel, and Nick, Mia, Ella, and Jaxson Beam. He lived long enough to welcome the birth of his first great-grandchild, Matty Wetzel.

He also leaves behind three brothers, Nick (Mary Ellen) Markota, Tony (Nancy) Markota, and Joe (Cindy) Markota; his cousins, Walter (Melita) Ragus and Miro (Zdanka) Ragus; and a classmate with whom he reconnected, Jane Bury.

At his request, there will be no calling hours or services. If you would like to remember John, here are a few fitting ways to do so: play a poker game, legal or not; wear your most blinged-out jewelry; enjoy a medium-rare steak with A1 Sauce; remember that the only vinegar that belongs on fries is malt; sing an oldie tune loudly—even if you have to hum the parts you don’t know—and, most importantly, make someone laugh today.

Donations in John’s memory can be directed to Cleveland Clinic Foundation or The American Cancer Society.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Kinnick Funeral Home in Youngstown.