John Macnab

John was born to Don and Edna Macnab on October 2, 1951, in The Dalles, Oregon. He grew up on the family ranch in Sherman County with his parents and two sisters. His childhood in the country cemented his love of the outdoors and tinkering. He started helping with work on the ranch at a young age, and was active in Future Farmers of America as an adolescent. He graduated from Oregon State University in 1974 with a Bachelors in Agricultural Engineering and received his Masters in Mechanical Engineering in 1976. After graduation he and his bride Elaine moved to Illinois for a job with Caterpillar. Their first child was born in 1978; the following year they returned to Oregon and settled in Dallas, where John was once again able to have a piece of land for livestock and adventures with his family.

After several job changes and four more children, John settled into a career path with Garmin, working his way up from electrical engineer to general manager. When not at work, he kept himself busy caring for a constantly changing menagerie of livestock, sharing his love of the outdoors with his children, and working on projects of all sizes. He tinkered with everything from old engines to hot rods to go-carts and built tree forts. One of his favorite things to do was take to the open road on his Harley. A lack of natural rhythm didn’t stop him from teaching himself guitar, practicing his favorite tunes, and singing his own versions of Johnny Cash songs.

John retired from Garmin in December 2008 and remarried the next year to Gloria Sukraw. Together, they invested significant time in their homestead, Chocktoot, thinning juniper and refurbishing the bunk house. John added beekeeping and blacksmithing to his list of hobbies and started selling western-style wood and metal creations under the name Juniper Jaxx. In 2017 John and Gloria moved to a beautiful farmhouse in Grants Pass; that same year, Gloria was diagnosed with cancer. John cared for her with selfless devotion and filled her days with love and comfort until she passed away in 2019.

After Gloria’s death John dedicated his time to visiting family, touring the Northwest in his Jeep, and connecting with members of his faith community. He became a member of the church men’s group, joined a local photography club, collaborated on metal and glass creations with a local glassblower, and rekindled his love of the outdoors through hiking, camping, and exploration. In the last year of his life he found an excellent travel partner and friend in Shelly Slusser and went with her to Scotland; he also visited Spain and Gibraltar with Gloria’s family, and he had future plans to travel to Peru, the Galapagos, and Kilimanjaro.

John is survived by his sisters, Jeanie and Karen; his 5 children Ian (Terra) Macnab, Blake (Alyssa) Macnab, Bryce (Bekah) Macnab, Meghan (Josh) Morris, and Dylan (Ariana) Macnab; and 15 grandchildren. John was beloved by his family and friends and will be deeply missed by all those whose lives he touched.

A service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 22, 2020, at St. Anne Catholic Church, 1131 NE 10th St., Grants Pass, OR, 97526. A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2020, at Route 30, 316 E 2nd St., The Dalles, OR, 97058.