John Painter Jr.

I loved working with John. He was such a character in the newsroom, and also a good mentor. I shared a beer or two with him and was richer for it.

I just heard about John passing. So sorry to hear. He was one of the true characters in journalism. The last of a kind.

Our family will never forget our vivid neighbor, the irrepressible fireworks purveyor and raconteur. With love, the Duffetts

I met John years ago through his wife, Susan. Always found him to be delightful--razor sharp, and to the point! A few years back, John took it upon himself to come to my aid in a rather unpleasant situation. I will never forget the kindness he showed me during that time. He will always hold a special place in my heart.

Was very sad to hear about John's passing, but thinking about him made me smile. I joined The Oregonian as a young reporter in the early 1970s, and John stood out to me from the start as one of the bright lights of the newsroom. His personality, wit, wealth of knowledge, passion and story telling abilities made him a memorable character.

When they finally take down that courthouse after the new one is completed, John's ghost, insatiably honed in on the last story that building has to tell, the last breath it has to eek out, will magically bring it all to life for us--that WILL happen! Susan--we ache with you in this loss of your soulmate. With great love and sympathy,

I met John when Susan was representing our family during a long and difficult legal matter. My husband and I became friends and we really enjoyed our social time together. John and Susan witnessed our marriage, helped us move into our new home, and much more. After every event we could count on receiving a personal note from them accompanied by photos. John was a great conversationalist - quite opinionated but also quite entertaining! I can still recall his voice to this day. Susan and...

I was a colleague of John's at The Oregonian. He was the consumate intrepid reporter and newsroom character. No moment around John was ever a boring one! Great reporter, great guy. His family can be very proud of him. Requiescat in Pacem, John....

John was my first cousin on my dad's side of the family. He was an amazing man. i just loved reading all his newspaper articles in the Oregonian. My thoughts and prays go out to his wife and his extended family.