John, 80, died January 24, 2023. He was born in Bellingham, Washington, on April 18, 1942. His family moved to Albuquerque in 1950 and he graduated from Highland High School in 1960. He married a St. Pius girl Carolyn Chavez, in 1963. They had two sons, John and Jason while simultaneously attending Northern Arizona University, School of Forestry.

John graduated from NAU in 1966 and began a long, successful career with the USFS. During his career, he was a smoke jumper, District Ranger (Flagstaff and Roosevelt, AZ), Forest Supervisor (San Juan National Forest, CO), Washington DC staff assistant (Long Range Planning), Fire Director, Southwest Region and finally Deputy Regional Forester, Southwestern Region.

Among his many land management accomplishments in the Southwestern Region, John promoted major forest fuel management activities reducing fire hazards in Northern Arizona and New Mexico forests. John was known as a humorous, positive, thoughtful, no-nonsense leader with an uncanny ability to see through issues.

He was an avid hunter who reloaded his shells (sometimes called "duds"). He was an enthusiast and avid reader of Southwestern history, particularly the Santa Fe Trail in New Mexico.
He retired in Albuquerque and enjoyed many years camping with his adored grandchildren, hunting, traveling, and spending time on his Tome alfalfa farm with family. John jumped at Grangeville in 1962 and at Missoula in 1963.