John F. Lemke

John Frances Lemke passed away peacefully on July 11, 2025, at Covenant Hospital in Lubbock, Texas. Born on August 18, 1940, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Paul Lemke and Jean Frances Murray Lemke, John lived an extraordinary life defined by grit, brilliance, and deep devotion to family.

Raised in Oakland, California, John began working alongside his father in the furniture business at the age of nine. A gifted athlete, he earned offers from top high schools for his talent in basketball, later excelling in football and track at Oakland High. His love for competition evolved throughout his life leading him to becoming an ultra-marathoner, a heavyweight endurance horseback rider, and a lifelong adventurer.

At just 17, John enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, with his mother by his side to co-sign his commitment. He served three years of active duty and three in the reserves before returning to college and launching a remarkable professional journey. He started as a city engineer in Concord, California, then rose to become one of the Bay Area’s most successful and visionary home developers. Always humble, he claimed to have built 6,000 homes, though those who knew him best understood it was far more. He saw potential in raw land the way an artist sees a masterpiece in a blank canvas.

John’s greatest masterpiece, however, was the life he built with his beloved wife Kim. Their story began when a spirited young woman knocked on the door of his Clayton, CA ranch and suggested he share his many horses. That knock turned into 44 years of unwavering love, laughter, and shared adventures.

John is survived by his loving wife Kim, his children Michael John Lemke, Sheryl Dee Lemke, and Eric Martin Lemke; and his cherished grandchildren Taylor, Chase, and Kade Lemke. He also leaves behind his treasured nieces and nephews—Jessica Onstad, Tommy Zukauckas, Jonathan Mill, Cassandra Carson, Michael Carson, Emily Smith, Matthew Carson, and Sam Carson—along with many great nieces and nephews who lit up his life.

Blessed with a mind as sharp as his wit, John could do complex math faster than any calculator. But more than anything, he was a man of character; strong, selfless, and endlessly generous. His legacy lives on not just in the communities he built, but in the family, he fiercely loved and the countless lives he quietly touched.

He will be deeply missed, never forgotten, and forever loved.