To the family of the late John Witt:

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Honolulu Marathon, please accept our deepest sympathy on the passing of long–time volunteer, John Witt.

Valerie Lawson's moving tribute (July 8, 2013) to John echo the thoughts and feelings of everyone in our Honolulu Marathon ohana (family).

John, we love and thank you for your many, many years of volunteer service to the Honolulu Marathon!

I am attaching a July 1981 article John had written for the Kukuni, the Honolulu Marathon's newsletter.

    Much Love and Aloha!
    Jeanette Chun
    Secretary
    Honolulu Marathon

July 8, 2013:
The Honolulu Marathon had the benefit of John Witt's later years as a dedicated office volunteer.  There was no job that John wouldn't tackle with gusto no matter how mundane it might have been.  He could always put some humor into it to make the time fly by.  Always the poet, John entertained us throughout the work day.  John had many full marathons under his belt and could out distance the best of us for many years.  A lot of his marathon cohorts had left us before he did but you can be sure they were waiting for him at the big Finish Line in the sky.  We think of John often and miss him greatly.  Run, John, run!
With fondest aloha,
Valerie Lawson
Honolulu Marathon
Office Manager

Dear Family and Friends,

Mr. Edward (Jack) Reid, my father's nephew, wrote a message to his children, John Reid and Caroline Reynolds shortly after my father passed.  It read, in part:

"John Stanley Witt was a WW 2 veteran and spent his career in the United States Navy, enlisting upon graduating from high school.  He retired with a rank of [Senior] Chief Petty Officer

Stan was gifted with many talents.  He wrote poetry, was a gymnast in high school (his event was the still rings) and had an ear for mimicry.  As a child, I remember Stan entertaining Leslie and me with his "Donald Duck" voice.  He also enjoyed word play and had the Witt talent for puns.

Stan came from a family of very modest means.  His naval service gave him a chance to experience the world.  He served tours in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, South Korea and most exotic of all, two tours in the Antarctic.  During one of his last tours, he served aboard a ship whose mission was to "fish" spent rockets out of the Caribbean during the early NASA years.

He once told us that the Navy was his "family" and would take care of him.  ....he will be at rest in a military cemetery in his beloved "home" in Hawaii."

Thank you, Jack.  You captured so much of what my father loved and you spoke of it beautifully.

I love you Dad,

John

OBITUARY

John Stanley Witt

October 7, 1922 – May 15, 2013

Borthwick Mortuary

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