John Peter Palen

John Peter Palen, Jr. passed away on March 28, 2024 at home, supported by his family. Born in Haverhill, Massachusetts in 1943 to Adelaide and John Palen, Sr., John lived an adventurous life with his lifelong love, Carole Palen, to whom he was married for nearly 63 years. They lived in New England and California, calling both coasts home at different times of their lives; later, they lived in Colorado to spend time with their grandchildren and then settled in Arizona to retire in the sun. John leaves behind his beloved wife, two daughters and their spouses, five grandchildren, and sister.

John, or “Jackie” as he was known to his childhood family, entered the US Navy after high school, and was stationed in San Diego where he was an aircraft mechanic. After his service, he and Carole returned to New England, but San Diego remained a draw and they returned. John worked in construction, and eventually became a general contractor. He owned his own construction business in San Diego that he ran with Carole. He restored and built beautiful homes in the 1970s and 80s. Later, he moved into finance, and had a successful second career in Orange County, California.

To know John was to know a man who could do seemingly anything. He was immensely skilled. It was difficult to find something that he could not do naturally well, even things for which he had no formal training. He could repair and rebuild cars; construct houses; restore boats and campers; draw; garden; write; cook; fish. He was observant, attentive to detail, and learned with ease. However, he was modest about his abilities. John accomplished many things in his life he could be proud of, but most remarkable to those who knew him best was just how self-made and talented he was.

John loved split pea soup, smiley babies, long car drives, new construction sites, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Neil Diamond, his homemade ceviche, numbers, his garage (a DIYer’s paradise), a good tomato, diving for abalone in decades long-past, El Indio, blue-only lights on a Christmas tree, black birds enjoying his Arizona garden, orange juice popsicles, card games, the corniest of jokes, good design of anything, a nice rocking chair, and listening to his wife play the organ. He was ever curious about the tech age. He spoke in a lovely tenor voice and with precision, had a ready laugh, and possessed soulful hazel eyes. Before he lost his hair, a style he carried with aplomb, he sported a dark blond Elvis coif. He was forever a handsome devil.

John was not quite ready to leave us when he did, and he had even more that he wanted to do. His compromised health was made worse by COVID-19, and he fought for years to keep going as normally as possible. Up until close to the end, John was still fixing things around the house, tending his garden, and rebuilding vintage cars. He was invested in what his grandchildren would be doing in their careers. They are all inspired by their “Poppi” and his curiosity, and plan to make him proud. He will be forever missed.