Born in San Francisco and raised in Los Gatos, he attended Los Gatos High School where he met his future wife, Betty.
After graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in Japan at the end of WWII. He married Betty on June 28, 1946, and they celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary together last month.
Long time residents of the Almaden Valley, they raised three boys in a bucolic rural setting. John and Betty moved to Morgan Hill in 2003.
John is survived by his beloved wife, Betty Coleman, his three sons and their wives Curt and Ann, Tom and Liz, and Jim and Laura, eight grandchildren, and four great- grandchildren, who dearly miss the man they called “Poppy.”
A celebration of his life will be held at 17022 Tassajara Circle in Morgan Hill on Saturday, August 6, from 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.
In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, 11900 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064.