Thank you John for always being there to support Gloria and the children at St MMartha Catholic Church, Murrieta, CA. May you rest in heavenly peace. And may Lord God the Almighty bless Gloria, the children, and your entire family. We love you all. From the Phamily,

MEMORIES OF JOHN John and I were first acquainted at Bloomfield School on Carson Street in Hawaiian Gardens, CA. Afterward in band at Killingsworth Elementary School. John continued band at Artesia High School. Jim Nagashima and I met in Kindergarten, when I shared a candy bar with him. Later, John, Jim and I would hang out together, along with others. At Killingsworth, we three played in band together. Our leader was Mr. Gray. John played trombone and tuba. Jim (also Steve McQuiston) played clarinet and I played trumpet. I think that is when we all became closer friends. Most of my memories are from High School. We all rode bicycles at that time. I recall numerous rides with the gang to Seal Beach for body surfing. Once, John and I rode our bikes all the way to Dana Point to see someone who had moved there. That was a long ride, and with a return in the dark. John always loved biology. At his parents’ home, we dug a bomb shelter/cool place for his lab work (recall the Cuban missile crisis?) We dug a hole about 10 feet deep and maybe 8 feet by 12 feet wide. I guess his dad did the roof and door later. John kept a microscope and some specimens there. John’s father was an exceptional engineer. He was raised on a farm in Idaho and attended the Colorado School of Mining and Engineering. He had a shop on the lot behind their home where he made neon signs for businesses. He also had defense contracts to make electronic wave guides. His father told me they wondered how he could make them so precisely. His father owned four adjacent lots; the two back lots were on Carson Street. On their home lot he built a very nice detached family room, where he loved to listen to his red label records on the best available hi-fi equipment. Next to this family building they built a swimming pool. We were invited to many pool parties there. Otherwise John and I just went in to cool off. Of course, we had to help clean the pool! John’s mother was a school teacher. John’s family hosted our high schools’ foreign exchange student, Rena Tsicoli, who was from Greece. No one had asked Rena to the junior prom, so his mother had John invite Rena, and I invited John’s sister, Carol. One day at John’s house, he decided to cook some squid (or octopus?). Either way it turned out to be very rubbery. I don’t think we ate it. However, that event definitely stuck in my memory. After graduating high school, John and I attended Cerritos Junior College. I was working almost 30 hours a week as a box boy. I had a problem completing my English homework. I decided that I needed a pause. I knew I would be drafted without the college exemption, so I withdrew and immediately joined the Marines. I did not try to influence John, but he decided to join a few days later. His mother was not happy. That was before Christmas. John and I were scheduled to begin boot camp the first week in January. John had a driver’s license by then. We took a few days off and went to his parents’ cabin at Lake Arrowhead. We met two girls who were staying with their grandmother and the grandmother invited us for dinner. The first week of January 1966, John and I stood on the infamous yellow footprints at MCRD San Diego. There was no YouTube at that time to prepare us: we were in total shock. John and I graduated then went to basic infantry followed by our specialty schools. John went to bulk fuel school, and I went to motor transport school. That separated us. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Semper Fi, John. John wanted to play in the Marching Band at Cerritos JC. They needed bodies for the football half-time show formations. John talked me into joining the marching band. John and I definitely had the marching skills. We had lots of pizza at Shakey’s after games. John and I decided we would climb Mount Whitney. There is a trail, cut at some places into the face of the mountain peak. No ropes, etc. were required. John and I drove in my Alfa Romeo Spyder to Lone Pine. On to Whitney Portals. We camped the first night and day at the trailhead. We needed to adjust our breathing to the altitude there at 9000 feet. After breakfast the next day, we started the hike, about 15 miles and 14,495 feet elevation at the top. John was always hungry. At boot camp, I couldn’t stand liver. John finished it for me. Back on the trail story. I didn’t want to stop hiking until we were at the base of the mountain to make camp. However, John was hungry and really wanted to stop and eat. He saw a chipmunk. John said he would kill it for food. He took a rock and threw it at the scurrying rodent. John was so accurate with that throw he would have hit the running animal if it had not luckily passed behind a small rock which John’s stone hit dead center. We laughed then kept going to the base of Mt. Whitney to camp for the night. Our camp was at about 12,000 feet elevation. There was a small lake covered in glacier blue ice, even though it was mid-summer. A small brook nearby had flowing water. After we ate, the sun went down behind the mountain and the temperature dropped immediately. Our sleeping bags were only rated for summer. John and I huddled together, back to back, all night, shivering. Morning sun was never so welcome. The brook was frozen solid. After breakfast, we left most our gear and started up the last few thousand feet. We knew we had to keep deep breathing, even when stopping to rest. John had a little headache from lack of oxygen, but we made it to the top. We made it back down to my car the same day, quite easily. Gloria and John were married in the Catholic Church. It was a toss-up for best man, Jim or myself. I think John was best man. John was a Christian. I wasn’t saved until years later. My job took me to Illinois for a year. Then in the ‘90’s to South Carolina for about 10 years. John and Gloria drove all the way to visit my former wife and family there. Following South Carolina, my job took me to Canada, where I have lived for the last 25 years. John, Jim, and I attended our 50th Artesia High School reunion in 2014. I flew down that time. In 2024 I drove south from Calgary, Alberta to attend our 60th reunion. John seemed to be in good health. He danced with many of our old classmates. That was the last time I saw John. Wayne Page

John really was a kind soul. My life was enriched by knowing him. I am sorry for your loss.