John McWilliams was born August 25, 1938 to George and Alma McWilliams on August 25, 1938 in Martinez, CA. He was born in the hard times where there was no internet and no TV, just radio. He would listen to his radio in the barn and hear his dad talk to the cows. They lived on a dairy farm with their cows and chickens. His grandpa used to call him Johnny Jump Up and Sit Down. Another one of his favorite pastimes as a child was to lay in the hay and listen to the raindrops fall on the roof of the barn. He had always wanted to have a coca-cola but his parents always told him it was medicine. As he grew older he loved going to the movies with his friends, which was only 10 cents to see the movie, but his mother would get upset when he would spend another 10 cents on ice cream. He loved playing with his brother Bill, and his sisters Jean and Linda. He learned early on that if he wanted something he needed his own money, so he went out and got a job on a paper route. When he graduated high school he took a job as a gas station attendant, but that was short lived as he was able to land his dream job at Aerojet. At 21 he was drafted into the Army which took him into Germany. While there he got to see Checkpoint Charlie the Wall and much more. After he was discharged from the Army he was able to go back to Aerojet where he was introduced to the Welch Family by his mom, and this is where he met Rita. They dated a while and got married in 1968 and their first child, Theresa, was born in 1969 and then along came Jimmy in 1972. They celebrated their 25 year anniversary in Disneyland and Universal Studios. In 1994 his first grandchild, Rachelle, was born and she quickly became the light of his eyes. He truly enjoyed being a grandpa and love to watch Rachelle in her ice-skating competitions, taking her to the movies and taking her to get ice cream. In 2000 his daughter Theresa got married to Ron Magleo. This gave him a new son in law and 3 grandkids, Bert, Lydiann and Tianna. John and Rita were married for 30 years before Rita passed away suddenly in 1998. In 1999, after 42 years with Aerojet, he retired and received many awards and plaques. Eventually retirement wasn't for him so he went to work at Roseville Toyota where he would trade cars to different dealerships. He loved to make jokes and he especially loved to make Bob Hope jokes, but he did not like to be joked on. His favorite show was the Price is Right and he went three times but was never pricked as a contestant. He enjoyed listening to country music and watching I Love Lucy and the Three Stooges. He loved old time cars and trains, he loved the Titanic movie and had many Titanic models. He love Disneyland and he enjoyed cruises and even went to Hawaii a few times. He watched church on TV, the Hour of Power with Billy Graham.
He had the best heart and loved his family and his friends. Him and his dear friend Claire shared a wonderful 17 year friendship where they would travel to places like Apple Hill, San Francisco and more, and they would talk on the phone for hours. We miss his jokes, his smiles, and his presence. We know you are no longer in pain and you are in heaven with your love, Rita. You taught us so much but the most important lesson you gave us was believe in the Lord and to have a good heart. When we miss you we will look into our hearts and feel your presence with us forever. We love you and will never forget what a great dad, friend and grandpa you were.
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