John Thomas Hand Jr.

November 29, 1940 - February 6, 2022

John Thomas Hand, Jr. of Bethlehem passed away peacefully Sunday, February 6, 2022, surrounded by his loving family. John was the devoted husband of Sylvia (Kerosetz) Hand, with whom he shared 54 years of marriage. Born November 29, 1940 in Providence, Rhode Island, he was the son of the late John Hand, Sr. and Inez Viola Whitehead. John is survived by his loving wife, Sylvia; son, John Thomas Hand, III of Gainesville, Virginia; daughters Jacqueline Davis of Bethesda, Maryland and Stephanie Hand of Bethlehem; sister, Grace Horn of Coventry, Rhode Island; and his eight grandchildren, Emma, Jacob, John, Gavin, Caleb, Connor, Ellie and Caitlin. He was predeceased by his sister, Gene Lewis of Providence, Rhode Island. John earned a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Rhode Island and a JD from Temple Law School. He completed 39 years of service at Bethlehem Steel Corporation, starting in the human resources department before moving to the law department after receiving his law degree. After his retirement from Bethlehem Steel, John continued to practice law, opening his own practice in Bethlehem. John was well known for his great sense of humor. He was an avid tennis player, enjoyed exercising to stay healthy, loved tackling puzzles and playing cards and board games with friends and family, and was a fixture in the Saucon Valley High School stands, cheering on the Panthers football team. John always made people feel welcome and had a genuine interest in getting to know you and building lasting connections. You never forgot John, even if you met him only once. His greatest joy was spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren, of whom he was so proud and to whom he was so kind, loving and generous. “Papou,” as he was known to his grandchildren, will be greatly missed by his family and all who knew and loved him. The family will receive relatives and friends on Saturday, February 19th from 11 am – 1 pm at Connell Funeral Home, 245 East Broad Street, Bethlehem, with a Celebration of Life to be held immediately thereafter starting at 1 pm. Face masks are requested. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in John’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, https://www.stjude.org, ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or Animals In Distress, https://animalsindistresspa.org, Animals In Distress, P.O. Box 609, Coopersburg, PA 18036.