Our remarkable husband, dad, and grandpa, John Cannon McKay, died peacefully in the early hours of Tuesday, November 19, 2019, at the age of 92. John was born on March 8, 1927 in Ogden, Utah, to Morgan Powell and Katharine Cannon McKay. He was the third of five children.
John's childhood, during the Depression years, was spent in many small towns in southern Utah, including Manti, Delta, Fillmore, and Panguitch. This 'free-range' time generated a lifelong love for the beauties of the southern Utah wilderness. His family eventually settled in Kellogg, Idaho, where he attended junior high and high school. Immediately after his graduation, John enlisted in the Army, and served at the end of World War II in Korea, aiding in reconstruction efforts, and working to eradicate malaria.
After his service in the Army, John attended the University of Idaho and the University of Washington, graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry. He worked for a short while for the Atomic Energy Commission, then settled into his 30-year career as an analytic chemist with Stauffer Chemical Company in the San Francisco Bay Area. After his retirement, John and Jean lived in Bellingham, Washington, Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
While at the University of Washington, John met and married the love of his life, Jean Gustin. John and Jean were devoted to each other and to their four children for 67 years; they were an extraordinary example of what a marriage and family should be.
Dad was a true naturalist, spending endless hours hiking and camping with us and teaching us to be observers and lovers of all flora and fauna. He loved geology, rocks, and fossils, especially petrified wood ("A man can't have enough petrified wood," was a common mantra). He fed birds (and by default, squirrels), and was an avid gardener. Dad had a beautiful singing voice, and could harmonize to any song. He played the guitar and the harmonica. He created stained-glass masterpieces, wove beautiful rugs, and carved magnificent sculptures of wood and soapstone. He was an avid reader and seeker of truth. We will miss his kindness, his sense of humor, and his curiosity about the world .
John is survived by his wife Jean, his children Molly Welch (Brent), Scott McKay (Sharon), and Tom McKay (Paula), ten grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, four siblings, and daughter Kathy Sandberg.
At John's request, his remains will be cremated, and there will be no funeral. A celebration of life will be held at a future time. Anyone wishing to honor this great man is invited to make a donation to the National Audubon Society, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, or to an environmental organization of your choice.
John's childhood, during the Depression years, was spent in many small towns in southern Utah, including Manti, Delta, Fillmore, and Panguitch. This 'free-range' time generated a lifelong love for the beauties of the southern Utah wilderness. His family eventually settled in Kellogg, Idaho, where he attended junior high and high school. Immediately after his graduation, John enlisted in the Army, and served at the end of World War II in Korea, aiding in reconstruction efforts, and working to eradicate malaria.
After his service in the Army, John attended the University of Idaho and the University of Washington, graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry. He worked for a short while for the Atomic Energy Commission, then settled into his 30-year career as an analytic chemist with Stauffer Chemical Company in the San Francisco Bay Area. After his retirement, John and Jean lived in Bellingham, Washington, Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
While at the University of Washington, John met and married the love of his life, Jean Gustin. John and Jean were devoted to each other and to their four children for 67 years; they were an extraordinary example of what a marriage and family should be.
Dad was a true naturalist, spending endless hours hiking and camping with us and teaching us to be observers and lovers of all flora and fauna. He loved geology, rocks, and fossils, especially petrified wood ("A man can't have enough petrified wood," was a common mantra). He fed birds (and by default, squirrels), and was an avid gardener. Dad had a beautiful singing voice, and could harmonize to any song. He played the guitar and the harmonica. He created stained-glass masterpieces, wove beautiful rugs, and carved magnificent sculptures of wood and soapstone. He was an avid reader and seeker of truth. We will miss his kindness, his sense of humor, and his curiosity about the world .
John is survived by his wife Jean, his children Molly Welch (Brent), Scott McKay (Sharon), and Tom McKay (Paula), ten grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, four siblings, and daughter Kathy Sandberg.
At John's request, his remains will be cremated, and there will be no funeral. A celebration of life will be held at a future time. Anyone wishing to honor this great man is invited to make a donation to the National Audubon Society, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, or to an environmental organization of your choice.
Our remarkable husband, dad, and grandpa, John Cannon McKay, died peacefully in the early hours of Tuesday, November 19, 2019, at the age of 92. John was born on March 8, 1927 in Ogden, Utah, to Morgan Powell and Katharine Cannon McKay. He was the third of five children.
John's childhood, during the Depression years, was spent in many small towns in southern Utah, including Manti, Delta, Fillmore, and Panguitch. This 'free-range' time generated a lifelong love for the beauties of the southern Utah wilderness. His family eventually settled in Kellogg, Idaho, where he attended junior high and high school. Immediately after his graduation, John enlisted in the Army, and served at the end of World War II in Korea, aiding in reconstruction efforts, and working to eradicate malaria.
After his service in the Army, John attended the University of Idaho and the University of Washington, graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry. He worked for a short while for the Atomic Energy Commission, then settled into his 30-year career as an analytic chemist with Stauffer Chemical Company in the San Francisco Bay Area. After his retirement, John and Jean lived in Bellingham, Washington, Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
While at the University of Washington, John met and married the love of his life, Jean Gustin. John and Jean were devoted to each other and to their four children for 67 years; they were an extraordinary example of what a marriage and family should be.
Dad was a true naturalist, spending endless hours hiking and camping with us and teaching us to be observers and lovers of all flora and fauna. He loved geology, rocks, and fossils, especially petrified wood ("A man can't have enough petrified wood," was a common mantra). He fed birds (and by default, squirrels), and was an avid gardener. Dad had a beautiful singing voice, and could harmonize to any song. He played the guitar and the harmonica. He created stained-glass masterpieces, wove beautiful rugs, and carved magnificent sculptures of wood and soapstone. He was an avid reader and seeker of truth. We will miss his kindness, his sense of humor, and his curiosity about the world .
John is survived by his wife Jean, his children Molly Welch (Brent), Scott McKay (Sharon), and Tom McKay (Paula), ten grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, four siblings, and daughter Kathy Sandberg.
At John's request, his remains will be cremated, and there will be no funeral. A celebration of life will be held at a future time. Anyone wishing to honor this great man is invited to make a donation to the National Audubon Society, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, or to an environmental organization of your choice.
John's childhood, during the Depression years, was spent in many small towns in southern Utah, including Manti, Delta, Fillmore, and Panguitch. This 'free-range' time generated a lifelong love for the beauties of the southern Utah wilderness. His family eventually settled in Kellogg, Idaho, where he attended junior high and high school. Immediately after his graduation, John enlisted in the Army, and served at the end of World War II in Korea, aiding in reconstruction efforts, and working to eradicate malaria.
After his service in the Army, John attended the University of Idaho and the University of Washington, graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry. He worked for a short while for the Atomic Energy Commission, then settled into his 30-year career as an analytic chemist with Stauffer Chemical Company in the San Francisco Bay Area. After his retirement, John and Jean lived in Bellingham, Washington, Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
While at the University of Washington, John met and married the love of his life, Jean Gustin. John and Jean were devoted to each other and to their four children for 67 years; they were an extraordinary example of what a marriage and family should be.
Dad was a true naturalist, spending endless hours hiking and camping with us and teaching us to be observers and lovers of all flora and fauna. He loved geology, rocks, and fossils, especially petrified wood ("A man can't have enough petrified wood," was a common mantra). He fed birds (and by default, squirrels), and was an avid gardener. Dad had a beautiful singing voice, and could harmonize to any song. He played the guitar and the harmonica. He created stained-glass masterpieces, wove beautiful rugs, and carved magnificent sculptures of wood and soapstone. He was an avid reader and seeker of truth. We will miss his kindness, his sense of humor, and his curiosity about the world .
John is survived by his wife Jean, his children Molly Welch (Brent), Scott McKay (Sharon), and Tom McKay (Paula), ten grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, four siblings, and daughter Kathy Sandberg.
At John's request, his remains will be cremated, and there will be no funeral. A celebration of life will be held at a future time. Anyone wishing to honor this great man is invited to make a donation to the National Audubon Society, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, or to an environmental organization of your choice.
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