John, loyal son, big brother, devoted husband and loving father and grandfather loved to see the world and travelled extensively during his life. Passionate about education, he attended Villanova and Purdue University along with serving in the Peace Corps, where he met his wife Ruth, starting a long and beautiful journey together. John loved and accepted all people unconditionally, and without prejudice. He had a passion for taking care of extended family and creating places for friends and family to gather. Those that knew him were taken aback by his honesty, generosity, kind heartedness and practicality. Nature was his church, and he found solace in Earth’s beauty spending much time in amongst the mountains, forests and oceans. He devoted his life to helping others and passed while helping others in the Kurdistan community as they set about in their own journey of recovery. John was a citizen of the world, an engineer, teacher, and a friend to all of us.