Haverhill - Haverhill - John Faucett Cole, beloved husband, father, grandfather, relative, and friend, died peacefully in his home on September 13, 2024.

Often seen holding a cup of coffee and the Boston Globe, John loved to talk politics or the New England Patriots any moment of the day. He had a passion for antique houses and lived most of his adult life with his wife, Hope, in their cherished 1710 brick manor house, the Peaslee Garrison. He was proud of his ability to pinpoint the year an old house was built within seconds of seeing it, often while driving with Hope and their dogs on the back roads of Essex County.

John was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he attended Tulsa Central High School before going on to Harvard University. After college, John met and married Hope, and the two soon moved to a lovely old brown clapboard home in Georgetown, Mass. Soon, a great love of historic houses was born within John. Over time, John would become one of the leading authorities on New England antique houses in the country, an expertise that became central to his career in real estate, consulting, teaching, and public speaking. In 1970, John spearheaded a preservation project that protected the architectural features of many historic houses in Ipswich, Mass., detailed in the book Something to Preserve, by Abbott Lowell Cummings, John's mentor and friend. John also taught historic preservation at Harvard and the University of Arkansas and founded the Peel Mansion Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. John spent time in Bentonville most summers of his life at the resort area Bella Vista, an annual gathering spot for family and friends and home to the Cole family's adored Hagler Cottage, a 1920s-era cabin.

In his later career, John focused his expertise on writing customized books for the owners of antique houses and lecturing about historic preservation under the name "The Old House Whisperer." John and his team did painstaking research on the history and architectural features of each house, as well as on the families of the original owners. John delighted in the

"adventure" of his work in uncovering the fascinating and unique stories behind each house.

John's favorite home was the storied Peaslee Garrison, which he and Hope bought in 1963 and in which they lived many happy years with their three children. A devoted father, John enjoyed rides with his family to the beach at Plum Island at any time of year.

He is survived by three children, John (Lisa) Cole, Hugh (Beth) Cole, and Anne (Nick) Norman, and eight grandchildren.

Services will be held on Saturday, October 5th , 1 p.m., at St. James Episcopal Church, 119 Washington St., Groveland, MA 01834. Interment will follow at Walnut Cemetery, Haverhill. In lieu of flowers, John's family would deeply appreciate gifts to St. James Episcopal Church, where John and Hope were parish members and where he served on the vestry for many years.

To share a memory or for more information, please visit www.farmerfuneralhomes.com.