John Michael Just

His childhood in Ogden, Utah was filled with hell raising adventures which were often followed by a search for the greenest switch possible so his mom could inflict his punishment. Throughout his school years he participated in track, camera club, rifle team, ROTC and he served on the student council. He graduated from Ben Lomond High School in 1956. After school, he joined the Air National Guard and later the Air Force where he served for 22 years before retiring at the rank of Tech Sergeant. During that time, he lived in many different places and travelled extensively. He saw much of the United States and Europe and served a tour of duty in Vietnam during the war. After leaving the military, he moved to Sandy, Utah where he spent the rest of his life. He married Dolores Romero on July 22, 1958 and together they had three children. They later divorced, and he married Jean Savage on December 16, 1970 and they had three more children.

He held many jobs during his lifetime starting at a very young age. One of his first was at age 10, when he travelled with his brother's family and worked for the Monte Young carnival. After his military service, he worked for Eaton Kenway, Cellular One, Western Telecommunications, Saturn and Home Depot. His last official day of work finally came in 2020 at age 83.

He had a great love of nature and all things outdoors including camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing. He enjoyed photography. He liked doing puzzles of all sorts. In his later years, you'd often find him sitting at the kitchen table completing a crossword or playing Sudoku. He loved to read - especially Dean Koontz and Stephen King novels. He liked bowling and darts and played in several leagues. He was a fan of sports. He cheered on all of the U of U teams, the Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake. Soccer was a great favorite of his. Not only was he a fan of it, but he also coached and refereed. He had a talent for repairing and building things. He was willing to help anyone with their auto repairs, and he would attempt to fix anything around the house, often coming up with creative solutions. He loved food and would try absolutely anything. The hotter it was, the more he seemed to like it. He had a stubborn streak a mile wide and could "color the air" with the best of them. And he never failed to find the perfect sarcastic reply to any statement. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and soccer coach.

He died on February 25, 2023, at the age of 85 surrounded by his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, 2 brothers, and 3 grandsons. He is survived by his wife Jean, children Michael (Theresa), Victor (Diedra), Bonnie (Richard), Shauna (Samuel), Tamra (Jonathan), and Melody (Christian), 18 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren.

A viewing will be held on Thursday, March 9 from 6:00 until 8:00 pm. The funeral will be held on Friday, March 10 at 10:00 am with a viewing beforehand beginning at 9:00 am. All services will be held at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary at 3401 S. Highland Drive.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.utahfamilyfuneralcare.com for the Just family.