John S. Darling

John S. Darling, 79, of Southington, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 6, 2026. He was the loving husband of Sandra (Vasile) Darling for nearly 50 years.

John was born in Hartford on June 17, 1947, to the late Richard and Martha (Klopp) Darling. He graduated from Southington High School, Class of 1965, and later from EC Goodwin Tech. He worked as an engineer at Royal Machine & Tool Corp. in Berlin for 45 years, retiring in 2016.

John’s life was centered on faith and family. A longtime active member of Zion Lutheran Church in Southington, he served as past president of the Council, a trustee, a communion assistant, and for many years was a lead volunteer at the Apple Harvest Booth. He also enjoyed singing in the church choir. John loved working on antique cars and spending time at his family’s cabin in Vermont.

In addition to his wife Sandra, John is survived by one son, Shawn R. Darling and his wife Sandy of Southington and four grandchildren, Sean Drzewiecki (Katie) of West Winfield, NY, Darci Drzewiecki (Cedar), Benjamin Darling, and Abigail Darling, all of Southington. He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to his parents, John was predeceased by his first wife, Gail Darling and their son, John Herman Darling, and two brothers, Richard and Paul Darling.

In honor of John’s love for music, donations in his memory may be made to the Zion Lutheran Church Music Fund, 531 Woodruff St., Southington, CT 06489.

A memorial service will be celebrated at 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at the Zion Lutheran Church, 531 Woodruff St., Southington. There are no calling hours. Plantsville Funeral Home has been entrusted with handling the arrangements. For online condolences and directions, please visit www.plantsvillefuneralhome.com.