Dennis Young
I worked with John for over 30 years at Tacoma Power. I couldn't ask for a nicer, more easy going co- worker. He helped show me the ropes when I was a "newbie" on the Wire Crews and I continued to learn from him for the rest of the time we worked together. He worked hard, treated everyone with respect and on daily basis made no bones about the fact that he'd rather be fishing.
He was proud of his family and worked hard to be a good provider. I remember how much effort he put into passing the FCC license test. The license was a requirement for his job in the communication shop. He couldn't advance without it. The test was very difficult and there was a lot of pressure on him to pass it. John didn't have very much experience with electronic theory which made it even more stressful. After months and months of intense study and a couple of failed attempts, he finally passed the test and got his General Class FCC License. But he hardly said a word to anyone about his success...no celebration...no big smile. When I asked him how it went, he just dead panned "it was easy" and never said much more about the ordeal. He was a proud man and you could tell he was the kind of person who believed you should "never let-em see you sweat" .
John was very detail oriented and meticulous about his work. It was pretty well known that if you wanted it done "quickly" John was probably not the guy, but if you wanted it done "right" he was the person to call. I can't tell you how many times John was able to help solve a problem by pointing out some small detail that everyone else had overlooked.
But John's biggest gift to our work crew was an ability to along with people. I don't remember him arguing with, or complaining about anyone. Even when he worked with some of the biggest knuckleheads in our shop John was able to manage them without conflict. He used his quick wit and deadpan humor to lead even the crankiest coworker though a successful day. I'm not sure if he even realized how much of a friend he was to all of us in the shop.
When John decided to retire, he did so on the best of terms ... respected, liked and missed by all. He set the bar high for us before he left.