Santa Fe Living Treasures – Elder Stories

During his military career, John was decorated many times, receiving four United States military decorations, two foreign decorations, and eight service medals. Immediately following his retirement in 1970 he became director of the first United States Postal Administration School at Norman, Oklahoma, where thousands of postal employees from around the nation received training. He headed Norman's United Way Fund Drive.

In 1980, John and his wife Josephine returned to the town where he was born and raised--Santa Fe. As an active hiker, camper, and fisherman, he joined the Sierra Club. He led the Rio Grande Chapter, and served as head of the Political Action Committee of the New Mexico Sierra Club. He was a highly effective spokesman on environmental issues. Clear-cutting of forests was a particular concern of his. He was active in the defense of the Carson and Santa Fe national forests. As Josephine says, "He was good at keeping the peace" and was gifted at facilitating discussion.