I (and many others) have known John since grammar school (St. Cecilia, Parkside District, San Francisco, CA).  We all grew up in the same neighborhood, attended the same grammar school, and many went on to attend high school with John (St. Ignatius, San Francisco).  He made some lifelong friends out of those neighborhood/school roots, including me.  I still also remember his wonderful parents, Antoine (Tony) and Josephina (Jo).  They were committed to giving their son the best life and education possible.

When our Grammar School Class of 1960 had their second reunion, someone tracked John down - by then he was in Manson, WA, living the life of a farmer.  He was unable to attend (ah yes - the life of a farmer is 24/7), but contributed to our Reunion Commemorative Booklet.  We were all quite impressed with his baseball years, first with the Atlanta Braves, and then with the Montreal Astros.

Over the following years, John sent me small, beautifully polished rocks, stones, crystals, and fossils, which I displayed in a cabinet.  They were always accompanied by documentation, explaining their origins, and mystical meanings.  He also shared photos of his apple harvests, and his dogs, Black and Blue.

One of his great pleasures was traveling to Hawaii every year, after harvest, to relax and re-group.  I still have postcards he sent - and they were always very colorful and beautiful.

John had a great big, kind heart.  If someone was in need, he was there to help.  He had an abiding respect for the balance of nature, and I recall him, along with a bird expert, starting up a Barn Owl project, - building nesting homes, attached to barns, when these birds saw their natural habitats waning or destroyed.

"Thank you for being a friend," Farmer Juan....