John Gregory Ensman, 27, passed away on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio after a lengthy battle with mental illness. Born on July 24, 1995 to Jeff and Jennifer (nee: Tonkin) Ensman in Kettering, Ohio, he spent the majority of his life in Lebanon. He graduated from Lebanon High School in 2014 and attended the University of Cincinnati and The Ohio State University.

In high school, John excelled in the classroom, finishing in the top of his class, and was a leader on the track and cross country teams. He was a caring young man who served on numerous mission trips with the Lebanon United Methodist Church, including several trips to Nicaragua. John earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America, and the Harmon Park disc golf course is his contribution to the Lebanon community as his Eagle Scout project.

John was passionate about music, and enjoyed discovering bands, enjoying and exploring various musical genres, and enthusiastically performing side hustles as a disc jockey at gatherings in and around TOSU. He said his ideal retirement job would be as an elementary school music teacher (who wouldn't love to witness that?!). He was low-level famous for his energy drink reviews on Snapchat and was thrilled when he finally tracked down every flavor of Bang to review. John fancied himself a movie critic and loved to rehash the finer points of a movie after - and often while - watching. He was always up for an adventure, whether kayaking, cycling, exploring Iceland and Europe, climbing Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, or summitting mountains in Colorado. He loved to "pay the man" in the gym (which means pushing himself in a workout) and was proud of his culinary skills as, in his words, a "purveyor" of burrito bowls and pasta.

John had a strong sense of duty, influenced by generations on both sides of his family who served our country dating back to World War I. He served in the Army National Guard as a combat engineer, and in 2020-21 deployed with the 16 ^th Engineer Brigade HHC to the Middle East as part of Operation Spartan Shield.

He was hilarious, brilliant, creative, kind, a deep thinker, had an infectious smile and laugh, and an extensive vocabulary. If John was laughing, everyone in the room was laughing. John would not want you to wallow in your grief, but instead, let your memory of him boost your stoke!

If the amount of love his friends and family had for him could have prevented this, John would have lived forever. If you struggle with mental health issues, please take them seriously.  Seek professional help, reach out to your family and friends, and know you are loved and not a burden to anyone. It's even easier now to get help if you or someone you know needs it: call or text 9-8-8. Everyone is dealing with something, everyone is carrying a load - perhaps heavier for some than others - but realize our compassion toward others may make their lives more bearable and their loads less heavy.

John was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, John F. Ensman and his cousin Adam Tonkin and is survived by his parents, Jeff and Jennifer Ensman; his brother, Joel Ensman; his girlfriend, Morgan Ruen; his paternal grandmother, Carol Ensman; maternal grandparents, Jane and John B. Tonkin; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and a host of friends, all of whom he dearly loved.

Memorial contributions may be made to the John G. Ensman Memorial Fund at the Warren County Foundation that will support charitable causes meaningful to John and his family.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. with a celebration of life service at 5:00 p.m. at the Oswald-Hoskins Funeral Home. Please dress comfortably and casually. Pastor Steve Cramer will officiate. All are welcome afterwards at the Ensman home for a "dank kickback" to celebrate John's life.