John Howard Paige's Obituary
John H. Paige passed away on June 10, 2026, surrounded by his immediate family: his daughter, Megan; his son, Brandon; and his former wife and close friend, Sue.
John was born on February 7, 1948 to June Orr Paige and H. Ronald Paige, and grew up in Narberth, Pennsylvania as the oldest of three boys. He was especially close to his maternal grandfather, John Orr, known to his family as “Gramp.” John spent his childhood in Narberth, attending Narberth Elementary and Lower Merion High School.
John Paige was an artist at heart. In his early twenties, he took up photography, a passion that stayed with him throughout his life as he sought to capture the world through his own unique perspective. Later in life, he discovered painting, and - true to form - he never painted anything that would be described as ordinary, and developed a style that was unmistakably his own - expressive and unconventional. His creativity extended to his cooking, as he was constantly experimenting and concocting memorable meals. He liked to point out that he never followed a recipe exactly, which - for better or worse - meant you’d never experience the same dish twice.
In every way possible, John’s artistic nature shone through. It extended to his love of poetry, his appreciation of great architecture, and the incessant need to stop at an antique store and pay an eyebrow-raising amount for a beautiful piece of cookware, furniture or sculpture. If you knew him, it was clear that he was someone who did not color within the lines.
That creativity also defined his professional life. John was a carpenter by trade and took pride in the beauty and craftsmanship of his work. He founded Old Time Quality, his general contracting business, and spent three decades serving clients on Philadelphia’s Main Line. He loved climbing into his work truck, grabbing a large Wawa coffee, and tackling new and ever-changing projects. Outside of work, John was dedicated to his favorite hobbies, tennis and skiing.
Before establishing Old Time Quality, John served in the United States Navy from 1969-1971. Following his military service, John spent time living in Vermont, Indiana, and Massachusetts before eventually returning to the Main Line, where he would build both his career and family.
John married Sue Henrich and together, they raised two children, Megan and Brandon. As a father, he continuously showed up as a champion for his children, and was keenly interested in how his children would make their way in the world. He always sought ways to encourage and support them in whatever they chose to pursue.
Although John and Sue’s marriage ended, a friendship blossomed in its place. Together, they became wonderful grandparents to two grandchildren, John - named after his grandfather - and Victoria. John treasured his role as “Poppy” to the two of them, and was joyous in every opportunity to spend time with them. He immediately had a smile on his face when being around his grandchildren.
John will be remembered for his creativity, his craftsmanship, his fiercely independent spirit, and the love and encouragement he gave to those closest to him. His family will miss him deeply and the world will be a slightly less interesting place without him in it.
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