He is survived by his wife, Eileen John; sister Pam Underwood; sister Carol Hudson; son Robert "Chip" John; 6 step children; 14 grandchildren; 4 step grandchildren; many great & great-great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Helyne (Steinfeldt) John of Fort Worth TX; brothers: Ray, Fred, Art "Akey", Bill, Randy; son Robert "Skip" John; grandson Hunter Oldson.
DJ was a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps, having served from July 1958-July 1970. He was a jet engine mechanic for the VMFA-542 Squadron based at MCAS Cherry Point. He held the rank of SSgt and received many awards, including the Navy Commendation Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation and the Vietnam Service Metal.
During his life DJ had an appreciation for classic cars and trucks and drove several drag racing cars over the years. But, DJ always had a love for golf his entire lifetime. As a cross country truck driver for 15 plus years, he was able to play many of the great golf courses across the country. He was a member of the 1965 All-Marine Championship team and over the years won many "long drive" contests. In his later years, he was a semi-pro golfer on the senior tour.
In 1993 DJ met "the love of his life", Eileen Merz. In 2002 he married her and they were inseparable. They enjoyed golfing, traveling and camping together. Good times and great memories.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at Cotten Funeral Home in New Bern, North Carolina. An informal visitation will begin 1 hour prior to the service.
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