John C. Trimble

John Charles Trimble passed away on June 21, 2023 at the age of 95. He was predeceased by his wife of 68 years, Ernestine. He is survived by his three daughters and their husbands, Linda and Tim Smith, Carol and Don Hughes, and Ann and John Merrill.

John is also survived by his grandchildren and their spouses, Sarah and Luke Thompson, Amelia Camp and Jake Saunders, Zach and April Hughes, Jasmine Smith, Lani Smith, and great granddaughter Guinevere Hughes.

John was born on January 30, 1928 in Warren, Arkansas. The family endured the Great Depression by following lumber mill jobs in several southern towns, and eventually settled in Oregon. John enlisted in the United States Army Air Force (now known as the Air Force) in 1946. The Air Force enabled him to meet his sweet wife, Ernestine. In his 25 years in the Air Force, John was stationed in Japan, Korea, Germany, the Philippines, Vietnam, and many states in the U.S. He enjoyed the various assignments and getting to see much of the world, but John was acutely aware of the burden military life placed on families. For the rest of his life he prayed for blessings for "our troops and their loved ones.” While in the Air Force he rose to the rank of Chief Master Sergeant.

John spent many years as Radio Operator on Air Force One, serving under Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. His most difficult flight was on November 22, 1963 as he was responsible for all communication to and from Air Force One after the assassination of President Kennedy. Quoting the book Death of a President, “...Trimble had to decide who would speak to whom, regulating voice traffic…”

After retiring from the Air Force, John and his family moved to Fountain Valley, California, where he worked in civil service and eventually settled in San Diego for the last years of his government career.

John always had a passion for real estate and found pleasure in this after retiring as a government employee. After fully retiring in 1990, he enjoyed having more time to spend with his family, playing more golf, and authoring his memoir Around the World in 25 Years. The book highlighted his career in the Air Force and all the opportunities it gave the Trimble family.

John will be remembered for his love and devotion to his family, wonderful singing voice, amazing stories and recall of events, and dry sense of humor, and will be missed everyday. We know Daddy and Mommy are enjoying Happy Hour together in Heaven!

John will be interred in a private ceremony at Miramar National Cemetery. Donations may be given to the Cedars Employee Fund at 2740 E 4th Street, National City, CA 91950 to acknowledge the care and compassion he received over the past 4 years.