John Washburn
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- Category: Obituaries
- Created on Wednesday, 17 July 2013 15:11
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John E. Washburn, of Newport, Vt., who once served as pastor at Sitka’s United Methodist Church, died Feb. 11, 2013, in Burlington, Vt. He was 71.
A service celebrating John’s life will be held on Sunday, July 21, at 4 p.m. at St. Brendan’s Episcopal Church, Juneau.
John was born Dec. 12, 1941, in San Luis Obispo Calif., the son of John J. and P. Aline Washburn.
John received several science fair awards during his high school years and had dreams of a career in aeronautics or nuclear chemistry. But his career path changed during junior college after a life-changing conversion experience. Consequently, he completed his undergraduate studies at Whitworth College in Spokane, Wash., and went on to graduate from the San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1970 with a doctor of ministry degree.
John was associate professor of Christian Education at Scarritt College in Nashville, Tenn., and later was on staff at churches in Oklahoma City, Stillwater, Okla., and Shreveport, La.
His sense of adventure led him to Fairbanks and, while on church staff there, he was ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church in 1987. He subsequently served as pastor at Anchor Park United Methodist in Anchorage and at Sitka United Methodist.
In 1988 he left the ministry and founded Software Sharing Ministries and spent many years developing computer software for churches and church schools.
Everyone who knew John experienced his disarming wit and sense of humor. He challenged the status quo and had a huge heart for the underdog.
John met Sheryl (Reinke) Johnson in Sitka, and they were married on July 22, 1988. They also lived in Tacoma, Wash., Sterling, Colo., Juneau, Moscow, Idaho, and Newport.
John is survived by his wife Sheryl of Newport; sister Jeane (Chris) Avilla, of Union City, Calif.; and nephews, Jim and John Harrison, also of California.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to St. Brendan’s, 4207 Mendenhall Loop Road, Juneau (for their Christian education building fund or Galley ministry), or to the charity of your choice.
Condolences may be sent through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com or to 395 Memphremagog Views, Newport, VT 05855.
Thanks to the generosity and expertise of the the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska broadband department, Tidal Network ; Christopher Cropley, director of Tidal Network; and Luke Johnson, Tidal Network technician, SitkaSentinel.com is again being updated. Tidal Network has been working tirelessly to install Starlink satellite equipment for city and other critical institutions, including the Sentinel, following the sudden breakage of GCI's fiberoptic cable on August 29, which left most of Sitka without internet or phone connections. CCTHITA's public-spirited response to the emergency is inspiring.
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20 YEARS AGO
September 2004
Photo caption: Jan Nelson, a White Elephant shop volunteer, stands with George Rohrer as he tries out a new public address system installed in the shop. The equipment was bought using money donated to the White Elephant in memory of George’s wife, Violet, a longtime White E volunteer.
50 YEARS AGO
September 1974
Photo caption: A dahl sheep, a totem bookend and a fishing boy won awards for Sitkan Robert C. Turner at the International Wood Carvers Congress, in Davenport, Iowa. The three pieces also took first place at the Fur Rendezvous Handicraft Show earlier this year.
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