John Radisi Jr.

Born in Greensburg, John was the eldest of four children, spending his early years in Pennsylvania. John’s dad was an Exploration Geologist which meant moving the family around every so often. The family moved to Midland, TX in 1956, then to Corpus Christi, had a small stint abroad in Iran in 1963, and then moved back to Greensburg. Once John Sr. returned from abroad, the family moved to Tyler, TX where John graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1970. Eventually, the family ended up in Houston, TX which is where John started his own auto repair business in 1979, Bear Creek Car Repair Service, and successfully serviced the area for nearly 47 years. His knowledge of vehicles was so unsurpassed and unmatchable that anyone who came to him for help became a customer for life. He married Linda Slocum in 1985 and, together, raised their three children, Nikolas, Franco and Erin.

When John was 7 years old, he got his first control-line model airplane. At age 16, he and his brother, Victor, started flying consistently. They designed and built their own planes and competed in local, state and national competitions from 1967 until 1978, winning many events and trophies throughout that time. Growing up, he also enjoyed fishing, water skiing, and playing the accordion. John always had a love for cars and drag racing. He started building on his first hot rod when he got his driver's license and drag-raced on the weekends. He was always considered one of the best automotive mechanics wherever he worked. During his youth, John was also in Boy Scouts. His father, John, Sr., was the Scoutmaster and got him involved with the organization in which he eventually achieved the Life Scout rank. Another activity John thoroughly enjoyed back in the day was powerlifting. He started in Tyler, TX in 1968 and competed in a few lifting meets. He won a deadlift competition during that time and was showcased in the Tyler newspaper. John did flight training at Weiser Airport for many years so it’s no surprise that his love of planes ultimately led to him becoming a pilot and earning his license in 1986. He bought his Pitts S-1 airplane and started learning aerobatics in 1994. Suffice to say that John was an adrenaline junkie, an adventure-seeker, a man who wanted the most out of life. He became an avid parachutist jumping out of planes almost every weekend with large groups of people making formations in the sky.

No matter where John went or who he interacted with, he always left a lasting impression. Saying he was a jack-of-all-trades is the biggest understatement. No matter what problems he was faced with, he always had a solution.

John was an honest, giving, and selfless man who loved his work, his family and will absolutely be missed and remembered always. He leaves behind his three children: Nikolas, Franco and Erin; his ex-wife Linda; his father, John Radisi, Sr.; his sisters and brother (Stephanie, Danette, and Victor), his nieces (Fawn and Morgan); his nephew (Victor, Jr.), his great nieces (Avery and Sofia), and great nephew (Kai).