March 29, 1933- January 18, 2025

John Tony Walenceus passed away on January 18, 2025, while receiving hospice care at Wesley Lea Hill Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility in Auburn.

John was born in Oelwein, Iowa on March 29, 1933, to parents Peter and Sally. He was the third of five children, and he was the last of all his siblings to pass.

Preceding his death were parents Peter and Sally, siblings Peter, Joan Ann, Charles, Sallie and wife Donna.

Donna caught John’s eye when they were just teenagers at a local roller rink, for him it was love at first sight, and they eventually married in 1953. They had 4 children and were happily married for over 60 years until Donna’s passing in 2017.

John is survived by all his children Michael (Karen), Richard (Christine), Peter (Mindy), and Jennifer (Darren). And grandchildren Hayley (Calen) and Elly.

John was drafted into the US Army (Koreon War) in 1954 and was discharged in 1956 with the rank of SP3. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1962, and he and Donna moved to Washington State for him to start work at Boeing. The entirety of John’s professional career was spent working for Boeing Finance from 1962 to 1995 when he retired with the Golden Handshake. He was proud to work for Boeing and worked in many different areas over the course of his career, including areas deemed top secret at the time.

Shortly before retirement John purchased a Honda Shadow motorcycle (his baby) and he absolutely loved riding it. He once even made the pilgrimage to Sturgis in the 1990’s with several other bikers, it was one of his life’s biggest adventures.

John was the kind of man who never met a stranger and loved to talk your ear off when he found someone willing to listen to his stories. He was a natural born salesman and eventually became well known with his neighbors for the yearly garage sale he and Donna would hold. He also had a quieter intellectual side which included such hobbies as Ham radio and writing children’s books. His sense of humor and playfulness were two of his greatest qualities and will be greatly missed by those who knew him best, he kept them both right up until the end.

John was cremated and is inurned in a wall niche located at The Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent with his wife Donna.