Final answer:
John Lennon's father, Freddie, was a merchant seaman who abandoned his family when John was young. He resurfaced later largely due to John's success. Freddie did not engage in the other activities mentioned.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Lennon's father, Freddie Lennon, was indeed a merchant seaman. However, he did not have much to do with John's upbringing, as he abandoned his family when John was a child. Freddie Lennon did resurface later in his son's life, believed to be largely due to John's fame and success with The Beatles. Among the choices given, the most accurate would be that Freddie Lennon abandoned his child, only to resurface years later to ask for money from his famous son. He did not have a chain of restaurants in America, was not on the Titanic, and was not killed in World War II.