Obituary

Born in 1964 in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, John graduated from Rothesay Collegiate in Saint John, New Brunswick and then from Trinity College, University of Toronto. Later in his career he received Masters in Public Administration with a specialization in Justice Administration from North Carolina State University.

A gifted performer, after college John went on to study acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. This led to work in major regional theatres across the US, including Yale Repertory, the Houston Shakespeare festival and the Alley Theatre. It was at the Alley that he met his future wife, Elisabeth Hobgood. John and Elisabeth were married in Toronto in 1992.

In Canada John found work as an actor in film and television, including projects with Nicholas Cage, Dan Aykroyd, and a guest spot on Dawson’s Creek. On the strength of this success (and the weakness of his wife, who couldn’t take the Canadian cold), John moved to Los Angeles, CA in 1994. It was there that their first daughter, Amelia Beth, was born in 1997.

Missing the east coast, the family decided to move to Chapel Hill, NC in 2000. After putting his wife and baby on a plane, John and his father, Robert Allore, packed up a U-Haul and drove cross-country together on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip. John treasured that time with his dad for the rest of his life.

Once in North Carolina, he joined the Durham City leadership team in June of 1999 as an accountant. His second daughter Theresa Grace was born in 2000, and his third daughter Ava Louise was born in 2003. John continued to work in various finance roles with the City of Durham until he was ultimately named Budget Management Services Director in January 2022.

He continued his acting work in NC, finding roles with many of the local theatre companies, including Playmakers Repertory, Raleigh Little Theatre, Burning Coal, and Deep Dish, for whom he also served as a founding board member.

Most significantly, John dedicated his life’s mission to finding answers in the cold case around his sister Theresa’s disappearance and death in 1978. He co-wrote the National Bestseller book, Wish You Were Here: A Murdered Girl, A Brother’s Quest and the Hunt for a Canadian Serial Killer. His relentless search for truth in his sisters case led him to become a tireless advocate for victims rights in both Canada and the US.

In 2017 John started the podcast Who Killed Theresa, which focused on unsolved murders in Quebec, as well as other issues of criminal and social justice. In 2018, John was awarded the Senate of Canada’s Sesquicentennial Medal for his work in victims advocacy. He wrote for a variety of publications including Canada’s National Post newspaper, The Montreal Gazette, The Sherbrooke Record, and Quillette.

Predeceased by his father Robert and sister Theresa, John is survived by his mother Marilyn, brother Andre (Julia), his former spouse Elisabeth, and their children Amelia, Grace and Ava.

John was a talented artist, a dedicated public servant, a steadfast victims advocate, and a cherished son, brother, and uncle. Above all he was a deeply, deeply beloved father who in turn loves his three daughters fiercely, and forever.

A memorial service for John will be held at Playmakers Repertory Theatre in Chapel Hill, NC at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 21. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent in John’s name to Association des Familles de Personnes Assassinees ou Disparues (www.afpad.ca).