John, 65, died of liver failure May 29,1993, in a Gresham care center.
He was born June 10, 1927, in Portland and grew up on a farm on the Smith River near Reedsport.

During World War II, he served in the Marine Corps and was honorably discharged as a technical sergeant in 1949.

John was a smokejumper pilot for many years and retired in 1980 as regional air officer for the U.S. Forest Service. From 1987 to 1992, he worked as a seed certification specialist for Oregon State University and the Washington Crop Improvement Association.