John was born on May 29, 1944, in Reedley, California to Roy and Lizzie Cook. He grew up in Orosi with his older sister, Ruth and began working at R-N Market in Orosi in 1959 at the age of 15. Under the guidance of R-N Market owner So Chun and his son Raymond, John was given the opportunity to learn many aspects of the grocery business which became his lifelong career.
John graduated from Orosi High School in 1962 and attended Reedley College for two years before enlisting in the Army National Guard in 1965. He was stationed at Fort Ord, California and was honorably discharged in 1971. It was during this time that he fell in love with the Central California Coast.
After military service, John resumed work with R-N Markets. As the stores grew, so did his responsibilities and dedication to them. In December 1978, he became Manager of R-N Market in Tulare until his retirement in August 2020.
In 1987, John met his wife, Deby and within a year John and Deby were married, moved to Exeter, California and began a life of shared work and travel that took them back and forth to the coast and eventually all over the world. Deby joined John at R-N Market, where John remained a vital part of the Tulare community and a beloved and respected employer.
After retirement John's dream of living on the coast finally became reality. John and Deby moved to Arroyo Grande, where they made more friends and found new ways to create community and lifelong connections.
John will be remembered for his kind curious spirit, warm smile, sense of humor, and his unfailing generosity to others. He loved animals and rural places and people, spending time with family and friends, watching old Westerns and working in his shop. Cars, both classic and new, were one of his favorite hobbies. John was well known in the Model A Ford community, having owned, built and restored over 40 Model A’s in his lifetime.
John leaves behind his wife Deby, stepdaughter Sarah, son-in-law Ryan, nephew Tom, Tom’s daughters Maisyn and Rilyn, John’s cousin Linda and her daughters Shayna and Cameron, cousins Gary, Karen June, her husband Darrell and countless friends.
A Memorial Service will be held at Stephens and Bean Funeral Chapel, located at 202 N. Teilman Avenue, Fresno, California on Wednesday, October 14, starting at 11:00 a.m. A scattering of ashes at sea will be held at a later date.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Central California Chinese Cultural Center at P.O. Box 7570, Visalia, California, 93290.
