Tuesday, March 2, 2021
John M. Ciesla of Berryville, Arkansas was born November 7, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois. John passed away on February 16, 2021, in Berryville at his home. He received a bachelors degree in Music Education from Sherwood Conservatory of Music (Chicago, IL) and a masters degree in Recreational Science from the University of Illinois (Champaign, IL). He also served in the Airforce and belonged to the Air Force Band, playing the flute and piccolo at Chanute AFB (Rantoul, IL). John and his wife Venita Winnie (deceased) were owners of Reading Express Bookstore in Farmington Hills, MI, where he also performed at a country club for 19 years. John worked at the Salvation Army as Director for Parks and Recreation in South Bend, IN. 20 years ago, John and Winnie moved to Berryville.