John Patrick Ayers of Plymouth died peacefully on March 25. He was 76.

John was born in Buffalo, N.Y. to the late John J. Ayers and Marion (Condren) Ayers. He was a graduate of St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo and the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. He was commissioned as a lieutenant commander in the Navy in June 1960 and served in Newport, R.I. He was honorably discharged in 1963 and continued on in the naval reserves until 1970. He was part of the Cuban missile crisis force.

He had a long career in industrial sales before he moved to Plymouth in 2002 to be closer to his family. He then worked for many years at the Home Depot in Plymouth.

John was known for his love of the Irish song, the outdoor life, and antiquing. He could be found kayaking in the ocean or the ponds in Plymouth, practicing his fly fishing in the front yard, hunting pheasant in the fields of Pennsylvania, singing a folk song in the local Irish pub, or locating an antique which always had a great story. He also had a profound love of cooking which some of his family inherited, and some didn’t.

He is survived by his daughters, Kathleen and her husband Alfred Ferland of Edgartown; Julie and her husband Steven Bernstein of Ormond Beach, Fla.; and Coleen and her husband Michael McDonough of Plymouth. He loved his grandchildren, Alexandra and Elliot Ferland and Matthew and Nicholas McDonough. He leaves behind many nieces and nephews all across the globe.

John was preceded in death by his brothers Daniel C. and Edward J. Ayers.

Funeral arrangements were handled by the Bartlett Funeral Home in Plymouth. Calling hours were held on March 30 and a Christian funeral mass was held on March 31 at St. Bonaventure’s in Plymouth. Interment followed at the Bourne National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Fisher House Foundation, www.fisherhouse.org.