John Earl Van Nortwick Jr.

John was born on September 5, 1931 in Eugene, OR, the eldest son of John Sr. and Hazel (Loucks) Van Nortwick. John and his brothers were raised in Cottage Grove, where he graduated from High School. After high school, John enlisted in the United States Air Force, serving honorably for four years. During his enlistment he served during the Korean Conflict and was also a communications specialist while stationed in Morocco.

While serving in the Air Force, John married Lorna Van Den Bosch in 1953. They welcomed their first child Terri in Wisconsin, followed by Bill, who was born in Oregon. John worked in management for Chrysler for many years while based in Portland, OR and Denver, CO. Following his employment with Chrysler, John took a risk by becoming the Northwest Regional Manager for Toyota in the 1960s. He was involved with Toyota as they became a household name in the United States.

Spending time in the outdoors was a favorite pastime of the Van Nortwick family. They enjoyed many camping trips in Central and Eastern Oregon, with White Rock Ranch a favorite destination. John enjoyed horses and made time to ride every Wednesday. In 1991, after a battle with ovarian cancer, Lorna passed away.

In 1992, John and Mary Jo Van Den Bosch were joined in marriage at a chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Mary Jo was already familiar with John and his family, as she had been Lorna’s former sister-in-law. John and Mary Jo shared a special bond and experienced many adventures traveling to Alaska and Victoria, BC. They also enjoyed playing golf together and loved to entertain, spending a lot of time with their large network of friends, some of whom they had known since John’s military service.

John leaves a legacy of humor. He was a fun, passionate, and connected man who could put a smile on anyone’s face. He sincerely enjoyed the company of others and embraced everyone with his positivity.

John began his battles with Parkinson’s disease and cancer in 2005, and he had also struggled recently with dementia. He and his brother Kenton were born one year apart in the month of September, and John passed away one week to the day after his brother.

John was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, and by his brothers Kenton and Gary.

He is survived by his wife of over twenty years, Mary Jo (Wlodarski);

children Terri Taylor and Bill Van Nortwick;

son in law Garland Taylor;

grandchildren Matt Taylor and Dan Taylor;

and by Lorna’s sister, Pam Wise and brother Dirk Van Den Bosch

He will also be missed by Newton, Morton, and Barton – John and Mary Jo’s three Siamese, ages 8-14 (who ruled their house).