John A. Houck

April 26, 1959 - June 8th, 2019

What I know about John - the child, I have seen through scrap books that his mother put together, the colorful stories he has told, and the pictures he’s shared.

John spent his entire life in the Yakima Valley, born at Memorial Hospital in 1959. Much to his parents’ surprise, as he came long after his brother and sister were nearly grown. He grew up in West Valley and lived most of his childhood in one home. He has fond memories of life there, and told me that he once had a very large pet turtle, he is a cat lover and Garfield was definitely his favorite!

John was doted on by his parents, Fred and Harelwillo; but raised with discipline, kindness, respect and love. His father had retired from the Air Force around the time that John started attending school and they spent most summers on vacation getaways; like fishing, camping in the mountains or boating on numerous lakes around WA State. They even went to Disneyland once or twice.

John had an interest in, and was encouraged to participate in many activities; he played baseball, rode motorbikes, and had earned a black belt in karate by the time he was a teenager. I’ve heard that he was an avid water skier and loved to skidoo.

He spent his teenage years outside of school with family and friends, occasionally working as a roady for various Rock & Roll bands when they would have shows nearby. His buddy Marty Morin’s family, were friends with Evil Kinevil, and he got to help with shows when they were in town. He even got to party with a few rock stars now and then.

At some point in his young life, John also worked as an EMT, driving ambulance, and was a volunteer fire fighter, until Rheumatoid Arthritis affected his abilities. He knew CPR, and has many other skills to assist those in need. He also worked in retail for a few years at Bi-Mart as the Automotive Manager, before getting to do the job he most loved.

John has a tremendous love of flying, we have video footage of him taking a flight while learning to get his pilot license. He was also obsessed with video games connected to flight, having one or two flight simulator programs, and he used it to land a plane in the Hudson river just like Captain “Sully” so he could see if it was possible, using the same exact plane and a very specific type of joy stick for it.

John has a knack for technology, and helped create one of the very first ever computer networked billboard systems in Yakima. He also helped one of his friends set up a local computer networking business in town that still operates to this day. This led to a 28-year career with the Yakama Indian Nation as a Computer and Network Specialist, he also worked as “Interim” IT Manager for nearly a year and a half, leaving that position only a few months before cancer struck in 2014.

His favorite band is RUSH, and he’s been to see them every time they’ve been within driving distance. I had the privilege of taking him to his last RUSH concert at Key Arena, Seattle in July of 2015, by that time, he was 7 months into chemo treatment, exhausted and pained, but he was determined to be at their last tour (R40).

John and I were drawn together by our mutual love of technology, music, camping/rving and photography, his mother had recently passed away, he was now raising his daughter alone, and we just had so much in common to talk about. He was supporting a local rock band called Sliver by providing photography and videography services, and is great friends with all the members of the band, Pete Hernandez by far.

John and I are great supporters of our local music scene and spent many nights enjoying local bands such as Rock Garden, Powerline, Wiseblood and more. One of the gigs, allowed us to spend the evening hanging out in the “green room” at The Brick in Roselyn, WA where we got to see the wall of signatures of bands that have played there.

John took me to several of his favorite places he loved to camp at; including LaWisWis, Ohanapikosh, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Rimrock Lake, SilverLakes Resort, Grand Coulee Dam, Kaner Flats, Squaw Rock and many others.

John has many wonderful lifelong friends, and we are truly appreciative of all the support from them over this 4+ year journey battling a deadly brain cancer called GBM. John is a fighter and lived much longer than anyone ever expected.

It’s no wonder that John’s love of life and his rescuing nature, has provided him with many great lifelong friends. He has the type of laugh and twinkle in his eye that just draws you in. His sense of humor, quick wit, and his willingness to help out a friend in need, paints John’s character as one of a kind. Though afflicted by a painful disease, he rarely let it keep him down for long.