Juan Marquez

John was born May 12, 1927 in Tyrone, New Mexico. He passed away at the age of 94 after a long battle with prostate cancer. His parents were Nicolas and Genoveva. Following in his brother Manuel's footsteps, in 1945 at the age of 18 he enlisted in the Army. John proudly served his country for 20 years. In 1950 while on leave, he married Josephine Fajardo from Hatch, New Mexico. She joined John in Germany where they spent 3 happy years. In 1953 they returned to the States with their baby girl, Phyllis. In 1954, their son, Ronald, was born at Fort Lewis, Washington. John's Army service sent him to other states over the years, including California, Hawaii and Texas. He retired from the Army as a Master Sergeant in December 1966 at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Dad maintained close friendships with other retirees. One special friendship lasted 61 years, this was his dear friend, Paul Jones.

After his Army service, the family moved to California, living short times in Modesto and Santa Maria. The family eventually settled in Stockton, CA in 1969. John worked as a Claims Adjuster for the California State Automobile Association in Stockton and Lodi CA. He retired after working 22 years for CSAA. He really enjoyed his job. He made many friends and remained close with several people over the years.

Sadly, his beloved wife of 33 years, Josephine, passed away in 1984 from cancer. They had a very happy marriage. He loved her dearly and struggled with her loss. Thanks to his faith, his family and close friends, he managed to find happiness again. After a few years, he met Dorle Combs. She filed a claim with CSAA and he was her Claims Adjuster. That was the beginning of a very long and loving relationship that lasted until her recent passing in February 2022. They were together for about 35 years.

John and Dorle loved to travel. They traveled many times to Germany to visit Dorle's family. Her family welcomed John with much love. They visited many other European countries and went on over 20 cruises. There were many family trips to Hawaii. They also loved going to casinos, always hoping that they would hit the big jackpot.

No one enjoyed a party more than John. Nothing made him happier than attending a family party. He was lovingly considered the #1 Party Animal in the Marquez family. Thankfully for him, both sides of the family love to party. He always had fun, a positive attitude, a smile on his face, and a glass or two of chardonnay.

John enjoyed his membership in various community organizations. He belonged to the Moose Lodge #391 (where he was known as Chardonnay John), the Elks Lodge #218, and the American Legion (Edward Stewart Post #803).

John had a special love for dogs. There were many family dogs over the years. His current dog is Josie, she is a 2-year old 35-pound bundle of energy. She gave him much love, joy and kisses. She was always nearby, watching over him and comforting him.

John was a generous person. He routinely made donations to various organizations: American Cancer Society, Alzheimer's Association, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, Wounded Warriors, USO and his church (Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

John was an avid golfer. He played well into his 80s. He especially loved participating in golf tournaments with his son-in-law, nephews and nieces. At the age of 78, he hit a hole-in-one at Lyons Golf Course. This was reported in the Stockton newspaper, which made him so happy.

John always said he loved going to school. At the age of 50, John earned his Associates of Arts degree from San Joaquin Delta College.

John was preceded in death by his loving partner, Dorle Combs, his beloved wife, Josephine, his parents and his older brother, Manuel. He is survived by his brother, Miguel (Mike), and his wife, Alta, his sister, Esperanza Mendez, his brother Manuel's wife, Erika, his daughter, Phyllis Marquez, and her husband, Michael Strazzo, his son, Ronald, his step-grandchildren (Anette Feldman, Michael Strazzo II and his wife, Jee Liyanage), his great grandchildren (Mila, Liam and Zayn), and his many nieces and nephews and their children.

The family would like to offer heartfelt thanks to DeLois Lee (his caregiver, who gave him much love and support) and the California CareGivers staff, his neighbor, Christina Hunger (who provided home cooked meals with much love), and the staff from Hospice of San Joaquin (who provided much needed services with so much compassion).