John Denton Fluck

John Denton Fluck passed away on February 13, 2017 after a three year battle with pulmonary fibrosis. Hours before his death, he celebrated his 76th birthday with family and friends. John was born on February 12, 1941 in Bethlehem, PA to Denton and Sadie Fluck. He graduated from Liberty High School in Bethlehem, PA in 1958 and immediately joined the Navy. He was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, where he met his wife, Kuniko. In November 2016, they celebrated 51 years of marriage. They had two children, Mary and Michael. John began his musical studies at an early age with piano lessons at age seven, and arranging and composition at age 15. He enlisted in the Navy in 1958 and spent the next 30 years working in the Navy Music Program attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander. In his 30 years in the Navy, he had the pleasure of working with so many talented musicians in the Naval Forces Japan Band in Yokosuka, Japan; the Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, VA; the Naval Air Station Band in Pensacola, FL; the Navy Show Band in Virginia Beach, VA; the Atlantic Fleet Band in Norfolk, VA; the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C.; and the Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, MD. Upon retirement, he continued writing music and performing in the Washington, D.C. area. He spent many evenings and weekends performing at weddings, private parties, inaugural balls, and debutante balls. He was very proud of his contributions to the Gridiron Show and Carabao Show. He was a published composer and his musical arrangements are still widely performed. His hobbies included collecting Japanese and music stamps (he regularly contributed to the Japanese Philately magazine), cheering on his favorite team the Washington Nationals, planning unforgettable road trips and vacations, singing and writing original songs for his family, and reading mystery books. In addition to his musical excellence, John will be remembered by all for his sense of humor, his constant encouragement for others to achieve their best, and his love for his family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Kuniko; daughter, Mary; son, Michael; son-in-law, Steve; daughter-in-law, Beate; and his five grandchildren Matthew, Jackie, and Teri Dailey, and Christopher and Melina Fluck. Visitation will be held at Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church on February 24th at 10:00 a.m. Funeral services will immediately follow at 11:00 a.m. The church is located at 11704 Duley Station Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Most Holy Rosary Church (memo: In Memory of John Fluck). John will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of John Denton Fluck please visit our Sympathy Store.