John was a longtime mentor and member of my San Diego work family. I am very saddened by his passing. He had a meaningful impact on me when I first joined our office starting out in my career. I greatly admired him for his intellect and skill as an attorney and his sincere and caring nature as a person. There are too many times to count when his reassuring ways provided the lifeline I needed to find my way through unchartered waters as a new attorney. His positivity was a constant reminder not to take yourself too seriously. We both shared a passion for spicy food though I never would've admitted to him that it was clear to me he could handle way more spice than I could. His presence in the office brought constant laughs and comic relief.  Most of all, he carried himself with humility, never seemed to let ego get in his way, and constantly found ways to put others before himself. Grateful for the time I got to share with John. He will be missed but not forgotten. My condolences go to all his loved ones.

John and I began working together in February 2002, and we enjoyed long, parallel careers as colleagues and friends for over two decades.  I distinctly remember the day in February 2002 when John stopped by the office in El Centro to introduce himself and his family to his new colleagues.  Gabe and Lauren were very young children then.  I will remember John as a highly intelligent attorney who was always willing to help his colleagues with their cases, and as a friend with whom many of us enjoyed countless lunches, brunches, happy hours, holiday parties, wedding celebrations, baby showers, dinners, and other celebrations and social gatherings in San Diego throughout the years.  He was a great colleague and friend, and he will be missed by many.  My deepest condolences to John's family.

I am saddened to learn of John's passing. While I was only able to work with him for a short time in Houston, John quickly became a treasured member of our family. He brought a calm demeanor, practicality, and an immense amount of experience with him from San Diego. I spoke a great deal with John about a recent vacation I took to Japan and he told me all about how he lived there years ago. We shared our stories and love of the Japanese culture and food. We also got John to indulge in Go Texan Day, which precedes the opening of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo each year. John proudly donned his ten gallon cowboy hat, jeans, and boots. I'll miss my new friend.

I was so saddened to learn of John's passing.  Though our time working side by side was brief before he became ill, it was long enough to see the quiet kindness, professionalism, and depth of character that made him so well respected and appreciated.

At the Houston office, he endured our teasing and good-natured humor with a mix of quiet disbelief and amused tolerance.  It was proof that he was one of the family.  His gentle reactions and calm presence brought balance to our sometimes-chaotic days, and he will be remembered with warmth and affection by all of us who had the privilege of working with him.

John Yap was my mentor at CBP Office of Chief Counsel for several years when I first joined. John offered caring and helpful advice on the phone and was exuberant and charming when I met him in real life at trainings. John always made me feel like he cared about me as a person as he listened thoughtfully to my questions. John always maintained an open door for me to ask questions about how to succeed at work and life. We bonded over both being from Oregon, even though his daughter was a Beaver and I was a Duck and it was great to connect over a unique place that we both remembered fondly. I will miss having John's expert and sensitive advice to rely on at OCC. Rest in peace, John.

Sending love and condolences from John’s work family in San Diego and El Centro, California.  We worked with John for over 20 years and our core crew in the Eastlake office became like family where we shared not only a huge workload, but we also became dear friends who had so many laughs together.  We feel like we know Gabe and Lauren from the many stories John told us about them as they were growing up, and JohnJohn (yes, we called him “JohnJohn”) was so very proud of his family!  As a work colleague, John was always helpful to pick up an extra case or field an extra call when everybody else was busy, and John always kept his cool and didn’t take it personally when a court ruled against us or an opposing counsel took a cheap shot.  JohnJohn was a champion for law enforcement, and he was a terrific mentor—almost like a father figure or big brother—as we welcomed young new lawyers into our office.  JohnJohn was good-natured and quick to make a quiet joke under his breath, but if you could get him to laugh out loud, it was always something really really funny!  Lunch with JohnJohn was interesting as we watched him pile flaming hot peppers on top of already flaming hot Asian or Mexican food, and he never quite sold us on Filipino cuisine although he sure enjoyed the lumpia at all the Border Patrol buffets.  We’ll sure miss JohnJohn but will keep him in our hearts forever.  From our families to yours, deepest sympathy.  💜

We had the pleasure of taking a couple of fun road trips with several families. We had so much fun on the Colorado trip rafting, horse back riding, wildlife watching, fishing, and  grilling our catch (without a kitchen!). The picture is at the alligator preserve, our last adventure of the trip.  We consider ourselves blessed to have known John. With love, the Campbell Family-Mike, Debbie, Remington and Alexander

Remembering our time together in London — the laughter, the stories, and the warmth you shared. Those moments will forever live in our  hearts.♥️ 🕊️

Remembering our time together in London — the laughter, the stories, and the warmth you shared. Those moments will forever live in our hearts.♥️ 🕊️

OBITUARY

John Yap

February 17, 1966 – October 29, 2025

The Settegast-Kopf Company at Sugar Creek

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