John Henry Mistler

John went to our Lord on April 30, 2020. He was born in St. Louis, MO on March 23, 1933 and is predeceased by his loving wife, Pat (Smith) of 64 years who passed away earlier this year. They are now together forever with our Lord. John is survived by his loving sons, John (Anne), Michael (Tracy), Mark (Kathy); grandchildren Brandon, Beth (Greg) Koestner, Lauren, Forrest, Brian, Kevin, Kyle and great-grandchildren, Anna, William and Charlotte. He is also predeceased by his parents, Edgar and Loretta Mistler and siblings, Edgar Mistler, Loretta Chrisman and Dorathy Barbee. John graduated from Beaumont High School in St. Louis, MO. He interrupted his pursuit of a college degree to enter the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, proudly serving as a Captain and Airborne Combat Navigator. John met and married the love of his life Pat while serving in the USAF at Connally AFB in Waco, TX. They were married in Waco in 1955 and then moved to Columbia, MO where he graduated from the University of Missouri with a BS in Business. After graduation, he worked with the Department of Defense and the Department of the Army until his retirement in 1989. He worked at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL during the Cuban missile crisis, Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and Ft. Huachuca in Sierra Vista, AZ. John was a loving father and spent many years coaching his son’s athletic teams. In his retirement, he was a docent at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for 23 years and volunteered at Saguaro National Park for 25 years. He also treasured spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. John enjoyed traveling with Pat, hiking, fishing, and time in Pinetop and at Hawley Lake. Above all, he cherished spending time with his family. John was a devout Catholic, he and Pat were faithful members of St. Pius X Catholic Church for 48 years. His Christian faith was the most important thing in his life. John was dedicated to the love of his life, Pat and to raising his three sons. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Pius X Catholic Church with burial at East Lawn immediately following. Due to the coronavirus, both services will be for immediate family only. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sister Jose Women’s Center or the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The Mistler family would like to thank Dr. Martha Miller, Dr. Mitchell Halter and all of the physicians, nurses and caregivers at Cascades Memory Care, TMC, and Casa De La Luz Hospice who lovingly cared for our father.