John Faris

My 91 year long journey is at end. I'll admit, I'm tired. I'm going to be starting a new journey, though, where I'll see friends and family that have passed through the pearly gates before me, especially my son, Ron, my hero. I'm pretty excited about that.
As a native Californian, I never thought I would leave the state, but here I am in Texas and here is where my ashes will be buried along with my wife of 67 years when her time comes. Yee-haw! About a year and half ago, my daughter, Lori, decided I and my wife, Marion, needed to move to Texas so Lori could "take care of us" and help out as there really was no one in California that could help if something happened. And that something did end up happening. At the time, Marion and I were temporarily living apart. I was at Cherry Hills Assisted Living in Sun City and Marion was in our house in Menifee. When Marion hurt her back, again, and ended up in the hospital and then skilled nursing, it was obvious I wasn't going to be moving back into the house and that's when Lori sprang into action, arranging for our big move. I resisted at first, but I had to admit it was the right thing to do. At least Marion and I were going to be able to be together again. I didn't get to spend too much time in Texas but what I did, I enjoyed. Great thunderstorms! I also got to go to a classic car show with my daughter in Bastrop last year. The ol' boy still has it when it comes to cars. I knew the year, make and model of all the cars from my era, and sometimes a little trivia.
The 'Ocean" theme of this background is a tribute to my connection to the sea. I sailed the seas around the world as a sailor in the Navy during World War II. Later in life, my wife and I would go on many, many cruises. We also loved going to the beach. Wherever we lived in Southern California, we knew a trip to the coast was just a drive away.
Speaking of cruises, we went to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, East Coast, Panama Canal, England, Mexico, Bahamas, and some of them, more than once. Many of our trips were taken with Marion's sister, Pat, and her husband, Barry. They were great traveling companions and we made quite a formidable foursome. Yes, we sure loved to travel and enjoyed all different ways of getting to our destinations - car, train, and airplane. We were thrilled to be able to fly aboard the Concorde from London to Los Angeles. What a flight! And that was following a New York to London cruise aboard the QE II.
I was born on June 28, 1925. I had two older brothers, Willy (the eldest) and Charlie (the middle boy), each two years apart. We grew up on the Burbank side of Verdugo Blvd. and my best friend, Lute, grew up across the street on the Glendale side of Verdugo. So, we did not go to the same schools. Lute was a little older anyway. We hung out together after school and were quite the rabble rousers. When we got older, we got into cars. I finally got my own car a few years after returning from the service. That's when my relationship with Marion started to get serious. We had met a few years earlier. We both attended Woodbury College and would ride the same street car from Burbank to Wilshire Blvd., then walk to campus. As Marion tells the story of our courtship, she was smitten (her words, not mine) with me because I was a bad boy and wore a leather jacket. Now I had a car too. Who could resist?
Marion and I were married on January 14, 1950. I had grown up a Catholic and Marion had grown up in the Christian faith. Marion asked me to convert to her faith before we married and I said sure. I wasn't that big a Catholic but my mother was and I know my converting disappointed her but she went along with it just fine.
Our son, Ronald James, was born October 15, 1951. Ron was tall, really tall, so naturally he played high school basketball and was pretty good. He was also good at track, running the high hurdles. We were so proud when Ron was accepted to the Air Force Academy. He really blossomed there and went on to teach at the Academy and then later was a Flight Test Engineer at Edwards Air Force Base in Lancaster. That was wonderful having him and his family back in California. By this time, Ron was married to Judi and they had a little girl, Kasey. Brooke would arrive shortly thereafter. Then my world caved in. Ron went down with his plane on February 11, 1986 at the ripe old age of 34. Sometimes I wonder how I survived as I was truly devastated and heartbroken. We had a lot of support from family and friends and were able to carry on. And we had another child.
Our daughter, Lori Lynn, was born February 2, 1955. Yes, that is Groundhog Day. Lori always loved being born on Groundhog Day and she and her husband, Mike, actually went to Punxsutawney, PA one year to celebrate her birthday and experience the festivities first hand. Lori is a graduate of UCLA. Over the years we've had many discussions about UCLA athletics and professional sports as well. We were always a very sports oriented family, going to Dodger games, attending the Bob Hope Golf Classic Tournaments in Palm Springs, etc... I finally was able to unload her (just kidding) to Mike at age 41. Mike's a great guy and I know my daughter will be well taken care of. They both love outdoor activities and they like to travel as well. Mike and Lori did not have children so Kasey and Brooke remain our only granddaughters. Kasey has her own child now with her husband, Rich, (another good guy). I am glad I got to stick around long enough to see my great grandson, Ethan.
I was lucky enough to work for the same company my entire career. I started with Southern California Gas Company as a meter reader and was able to move up the ladder into management because I applied myself and had a college education. I made so many lifelong friends and got to travel some when I was working on the Alaska pipeline projects. I also learned to play golf. Everybody knows that the golf course is really where business is conducted! Then I retired. That's when Marion and I really started traveling. I also could play more golf!
We lived in Burbank until Lori went away to college. Then we moved to Glendale, then Laguna Niguel, then San Clemente, then Menifee. For the most part, we had pretty good neighbors. We took an exceptional liking to our neighbors in San Clemente, the Gillespie's. Mike and Louise were a little younger in age than our kids and had a young family. We enjoyed watching their kids, Gracie, Annie, and John grow up and being a part of their lives. I like to think we were the grandparents they didn't have close by. Mike was a good friend and a comforting factor in my life.
When our kids were growing up, they were able to walk to Elementary, Junior and High schools. Also, we were lucky to have Pat and Barry close by in Burbank so our kids and their kids, Debi and Scott, were able to grow up together. Both Debi and Scott have their own families now and grandchildren are starting to pop up on Debi's side.
I have had quite a life. I got to travel with my daughter to Indianapolis for the Indy 500. I experienced being shot like a cannon from the deck of an air craft carrier aboard a fighter jet. I rode in a Hot Air Balloon with my son-in-law, Mike, over Temecula. I bathed in the public baths in Japan in my birthday suit. I drove on the other side of the road in Ireland and England. I attended the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. These are just a few of the highlights. I am sure you, my family and friends have your own memories that include me and I hope they make you smile and laugh. Thank you for sharing your lives with me and we'll see each other again.