Johanes Bosco Sugiyanto

Johanes Bosco Sugiyanto was born in Wonosari, Yogyakarta on January 1, 1949. He was the first child of Fransiscus Xaverius Suro Pawiro and Sumijem Pawiro. His siblings included Mukiyato and Supriyati. He was raised in the remote village of Wonosari in Yogyakarta's deep side by a very simple family and led a very simple lifestyle. Almost all of his childhood travels were made on his bicycle.

He used to enjoy working nonstop, running a small satay restaurant in Downtown Yogyakarta and doing his parents' and grandparents' grocery shopping. He grew up in a remote village without access to roads, electricity, or water, but that didn't stop him from majoring in geology and graduating from Jetis City Technical Vocational School in July 1967. He pursued his dream of working in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta. God paved the way for success, and Johanes was hired by a water drilling company called INDRA in the early 1970s. After that, he was elevated to the position of youngest superintendent in his company and was assigned to work across many Indonesian provinces. In Ujung Pandang, later known as Makassar, Johanes was tasked in 1973 with establishing extensive irrigation systems in a hospital.

His gentleness and integrity throughout his life drew the attention of his future wife, Stien Irnin. The two married in 1974 and embarked on a new life together. A year later, on April 30th, 1975, their first child, Ignatius Sigit Widyo Primanto, was born in Jakarta, followed by their second child, Joseph Irgi Sugiyanto, on August 23rd, 1976 in Makassar, and their lastborn, Leo Audri Rinto Saptaji, on August 7th, 1981 in Jakarta. Later, the two raised their three children in Tangerang City, West Java, Indonesia.

God opened another door to success for Johanes when he was hired by an American company called Caterpillar through the Indonesian branch Trakindo utama, forcing his family to relocate to Surabaya, Indonesia in 1991. He was eventually promoted to Chief Sales Officer (CSO), where he was in charge of leading and managing sales in eastern Indonesia. Mr. and Mrs. Sugiyanto refused to settle for less for their children's future. So, in October 2001, they all moved to the United States, and at the age of fifty-two, Johanes retired early, having started over from the bottom up to give his sons a better future.

Johanes participated in a variety of social and religious activities in his final days, becoming a blessing to others. Being a man who valued family, he would frequently gather with his children and grandchildren and would remind us that "love and patience cannot have an end and must always extend like Jesus is." In addition, he advised us to "live your simple lives" and "remain humble." His gentle nature, smile, and humility towards his family and others will always be cherished memories.

So long, Mbah Kung!

Until we meet again…