John Edward Muckenthaler

John Edward Muckenthaler, 83, passed away Saturday, October 29th, 2016 at Kindred Hospital after a sudden and brief illness. John was born on September 25th, 1933 to Martin and Mildred Muckenthaler in Anaheim, California, the youngest of three children. John resided in Orange County for his entire life.

John had a passion for fishing on the ocean from a young age and became the captain of a boat by the time he was fourteen years old. He was an avid deep-sea fisherman his entire life and owned several fishing boats, most notably “The Big Bad John,” competed in countless deep-sea fishing tournaments, was a founder and charter member of the Los Pescadores Fishing Club in Newport Beach, and also co-captained his son’s fishing boat “The Motivator” in his later years.

His other great passion was motorcycles and sand sports; he raced motorcycles professionally as a young man and ran his own motorcycle store- Buena Park Honda- with his wife from 1977 until he retired in 1994. He and his wife rode their Honda Pilots in the Glamis Sand Dunes for over thirty years, with John as the leader of the pack, and shared these experiences with numerous friends and family.

He will be forever remembered as a humble, soft-spoken, and thoughtful man. He was very patriotic and proud of his service in the US Army during the Korean War. He was a gracious host whenever there were parties at the Muck’s house, with his favorite cocktail- a mixture of orange juice and Captain Morgan spiced rum- termed a “Johnny Muck” always in hand. A true Southern Californian, he wore sandals and Spooner Hawaiian shirts almost every day no matter the weather conditions.

He is survived by his wife of fifty years Kathy Muckenthaler; son, Mark Mitchell; son, Marty Mitchell; daughter, Mitzi Sellers; nine grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; along with many other dear family members and close friends.

A flower dedication at sea and cast-off from as many boats able to attend will be held on Saturday, November 19th, 2016 at Newport Harbor beginning at 9:00 am followed by a “Celebration of Life” service at the Garden Grove Elk’s Lodge from 1:00-4:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please send all memorials and donations to Kathy Muckenthaler.