John Glenn Arvance

John was born to Bill and Persia Arvance in Watsonville, California on December 9, 1950. He moved with his parents to Fresno as a young child.

John had many loves. He loved music. As a teenager, John played the accordion in a Jazz group called “The Doodle Dandies.” They were so good that Me N Ed’s hired them to play in their pizza parlors.

He also loved camping and hunting with his family. They went fishing at Lake 61 and camping at Mono Hot Springs often. John looked forward to deer hunting with his father every year. And, of course, John really loved sports. He excelled in football and baseball at Roosevelt High School. He passed that love onto his four children and grandchildren. Later in life he truly loved watching his grandsons play football and baseball.

John loved his family. John met Kathi as a Sophomore at Roosevelt. They were married right after high school and just celebrated 51 years of marriage. Their love created a beautiful family of four children, Michelle, Jason, Ashley, and Michael, and twelve grandchildren. Jason remembers: “When I’d mess up, Dad always corrected me in love. He was easy to talk to. I remember one day when I was 8 years old and our family went on a big church picnic to Roosevelt. There was a baseball game, but they wouldn’t let my Dad bat right-handed. I thought ‘That’s not fair’ he’s not left-handed! But Dad hit homerun after homerun batting left-handed. Boy he became bigger than life to me that day!” Ashley said “My Dad was always my soft place to fall and he was always so gentle and kind. He’d be so positive with me when correcting me in sports and life. He taught me how to love through his actions!”

Most of all, John loved God. Kathi would not date him unless he went to church with her, so he did. He started attending church with Kathi as a teenager and has walked closely with God ever since. He started carrying the New Testament with him in his shirt pocket so he could share the Word of God with his classmates. Michelle describes her Dad as “the embodiment of a Christian man. He was kind to everyone and put his faith and trust in God every day. I’ve heard him greet friends and family with a slap on the back and one question: ‘How are you and God doing?’” Michael said: “Faith is an inspired expression that my father portrayed to me, and to us all. He was a loving and kind individual. He showed me what it meant to be a son and father.”

John had many professional interests. He was a computer enthusiast right at the very beginning of the “new computer age.” He taught himself how computers functioned and how to program computers by reading books and magazines and fiddling around with computers. He eventually became the manager of Computerland in Fresno. He was also a successful insurance sales associate for Cal Farm and he sold computer programs for an auto dealership. In 1995, John moved his family to Kerman to join the family business, Arvance Turkey Ranch, in Kerman, California where he eventually retired.

Kathi remembers John and his love for people. He was so “social” and loved to help people if he could. John was very interested in people and had a knack for making them feel very important and loved. As a founding member of Church of Living Water, John took it seriously, making everyone there feel loved and encouraged!

Pastor Roger Halvorson, John’s longtime friend and pastor, said: “I met John when we began attending Victor Christian Fellowship about 1983. We developed a friendship and spent many hours constructing the test church on Fowler. When we planted Church of Living Water in 1987, John and Kathi joined us and were founding members. The second year of the church, we realized we could effectively use one of the new computers that had just hit the market. John was the manager of Computerland at the time. He suggested we get the latest and greatest computer on the market; a 10 Meg AT&T computer, only $2,500 used. John said we’d never outgrow this one. John and Kathi served as church board members for many years. I enjoyed John’s sense of humor and intense optimism. We had many enjoyable hours of fellowship, lunches and just hanging out together. He was greatly loved and I count it as a privilege to consider John my friend.

John is survived by his beloved wife Kathi; four adult children, Michelle Hamilton of Sacramento, Jason Arvance of Kerman, Ashley Arvance of Kerman, and Michael Arvance of Kerman; twelve grandchildren; his mother, Persia Arvance of Kerman; his brother and sister-in-law Bradley and Ann Arvance; nephews William, Jacob and Bradley Arvance of Kerman; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

John, we can’t imagine life without you. Our hearts are broken and we miss you, but we know you are so happy and full of life and joy with Jesus and our Heavenly Father and your loved ones! So, we cannot weep for you at all. The tears we cry, Jesus will dry with time, but you will always be alive in our hearts. Our greatest assurance is…we really will see you again!

SERVICES:

Viewing (open to the public) – Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 4:00-7:00 pm. Stephens and Bean Funeral Chapel, 202 N. Teilman Avenue, Fresno.

Graveside Services – Thursday, November 18, 2021, 10:00 am. Fresno Memorial Gardens, 175 S. Cornelia, Fresno (SW Corner of Cornelia and Whitesbridge).

Lunch and Celebration of Life Reception – Immediately Following. Church of Living Water, 614 E. Bullard, Fresno (Between Fresno and First).