John "Johnny" Ray Mears

John “Johnny” Ray Mears 84, passed away peacefully at home in Palmer on May 20^th, 2024 in the presence of his beloved children.

John was born in Hawthorne, Nevada on November 7, 1939. His family moved to Palmer, Alaska where his father Lester Mears worked at Independence Mine and his mother Betty owned a clothing store and was the Mayor of Palmer in the 1950’s. John graduated from Palmer High School in 1957. John left Alaska to attend Cal-Poly in Pomona, CA where he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1962.

Upon his college graduation, John purchased a 1959 Cessna 172, which he owned for over 60 years. His aviation and aerobatic talents landed him in countless air shows around the country. On May 19, 1980, John boldly removed the doors from his Cessna and flew a photojournalist over the crater of Mt. St. Helens to capture images of the volcanic destruction the day after its eruption.

John worked for Rockwell International as a shipyard contractor and NAVSTAR guidance engineer. While working sea trials in 1963, a delayed flight prevented John from working on the doomed USS Thresher, which suffered a catastrophic accident and imploded, killing everyone on board.

While working in Portsmouth, NH he met Therese Rioux, a waitress at his favorite steakhouse haunt. They married in 1965 and relocated to Bremerton, WA where he worked at the Bangor Naval Submarine base. John was a member of the Jaycees, Rotary, and was a Big Brother for many years. He was a longtime fan of Billy Joel and loved jazz music. The couple had two children, Shawna born in 1969 and Kelly, born in 1971. Both kids fondly remember John coaching every sports team they played on, never missing a game. He inspired both kids to become voracious readers, spending many Sundays at libraries and bookstores.

John moved back to his hometown of Palmer with his son Kelly in 1982. He was hired by the University of Alaska as an electronics instructor, spending endless hours with his students. John retired as a tenured professor in 2006. John enjoyed 18 beautiful years of retirement on his family property in Palmer. Although he was not an official grandparent, he enjoyed coaching sports and working with children all his life.

John was a man of many talents and interests: he was a dog whisperer, a lifelong artist, a writer, a builder, a woodworker and an incredible father. He was the HAM Radio Club chief instructor for Alaska and on the Board with the Club for many years.

John was always the smartest and most humble guy in the room. His family, friends and colleagues will forever miss his deep voice, reserved intellect, ugly hats, warped sense of humor, gentle spirit, willful disposition, and his kind heart.

John is survived by his son and fishing buddy Kelly Mears, of Palmer AK and his greatest fan and daughter, Shawna Gasak of DuPont, WA. He was preceded in death by his parents, Betty and Lester Mears, sister MaryAnn Colliver, and brother Charles Mears.

A Celebration of Life for John will be held at the 2024 MARA Club Ham Fest, Big Lake Lions Club on September 7, 2024 at 5:30pm. We look forward to sharing memories with everyone.