John Thomas McDermott

In May of 1944, john joined the Navy with his good friend Van. He was assigned to the U.S.S. Douglas H. Fox (DD770) a destroyer. The Fox shot down Kamikaze planes while serving on the famed radar picket line off the coast of Okinawa. John was aboard The Fox when it was attacked after their fighter plane had left to refuel. The Fox when it was hit by one of the Kamikaze planes in an attack. At this time, John's station was in the magazine of the gun mount.

John met his wife, Cora Cook, while home on leave and attending a community dance. He told a gentleman standing nearby, "I'm going to marry that girl!", only to find out later, that the man was Cora's father! He eventually married Cora and his dear friend Van married Cora's sister, Wanda. Wanda helped John and Cora elope; they were married on April 1946. Their son, John was born in December 27th, 1948. Not much later, Sally was born in November 1949.

His family lived in Alamosa, CO until 1958, where he worked as a switchman on the Rio Grande Train Line for over seventeen years. He was a member of the San Luis Valley Racing Club, fixing and driving stock cars for fun. He kept all his cars painted yellow and black.

The family moved to Grants, New Mexico for a year as John worked delivering milk. Then they moved to Seattle, where John was a night manager of a Texaco Station. During his time at this job, there was an attempted robbery, in which John was severely beater and shot at. John made a remarkable recovery!

They moved to Yakima in 1976, where John worked for J.C. Penney garage as a break specialist, then he moved to Old Town Garage, and later to Parkside Convalescent Center in the housekeeping/grounds keeping department. John was always a loyal and hardworking man.

After John retired at age 78, he and Cora moved to Union Gap, where they spent their time serving at Union Gap First Baptist Church for many years. John served as a deacon. His beloved Cora passed away in October of 2009; they had been married for 63 years!

A stroke brought John to Crescent Health Care in October 2011, when the family was informed by the doctor that John would probably have another stroke and not make it past another 30 or so days. John was a fighter and lived and ministered at Crescent for another year. Staff members mentioned their love of John and how much he impacted their lives. He was a living testimony of God's certain love and grace.

He was a humble and loyal man. A loving father, a devoted grandfather, and an adoring great-grandfather.

Survivors include a son, Johnnie of WA, a daughter, Sally of Union Gap, WA; two brothers, Olen McDermott of Renton, WA and Andrew McDermott of Colorado Springs, CO; two sisters, Alice Walston of Las Vegas, NV and Mary Pressel of Portland, OR; a granddaughter and grandson Deann Lewis and her husband, Todd Lewis, of Seattle, WA; and two Great-Grandchildren, Sahara & Jordan Lewis, of Seattle, WA.

Memorial services are pending. To be held at a later date at Union Gap Baptist Church. Arrangements are by Keith & Keith Funeral Home, Yakima.