John Slonaker

John Slonaker John Slonaker died suddenly on May 31, 2007 while snorkeling in the beautiful, clear waters at Ka'anapali at the base of Black Rock on Maui. John loved his life, his children, his career and died while seeking adventure and new experiences in Hawaii. He will be missed by many and his death will leave a hole in the hearts of many friends, co-workers and close family members who shared his life. John was born in Denver, Colo. on Feb. 24, 1949 to Clyde and Anne Slonaker. John's father was a fish and game officer for the State of Colorado and John grew up on horseback in the high country of the Colorado Rockies. He loved the mountains and learned how to pack horses and handle himself in the wilderness at a young age. He is survived by his father and a brother, Ron Slonaker of Gouldsboro, Penn. He graduated from Ft. Collins High School in 1967 and was planning on attending his Fortieth high school reunion this month. He served in the U.S. Air Force for four years after high school. He attended Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont. from 1981- 1985 and earned a degree in Construction Engineering which would mold the remainder of his successful professional career. John was a skilled land surveyor and held professional surveying licenses in Montana, Texas and Idaho. He currently was involved and working diligently on the Connecting Idaho project co-partnered by Washington Group and CH2MHill where John was employed since 1995. Many of us in the Boise valley are now wondering how our roads will be improved and widened without John's exceptional expertise in the right-of-way and mapping arena! John married Nancy Mann in July of 1981 and together they raised two wonderful children, Nate Slonaker born in 1988 and Robin Yanskey who came to live with John, Nancy and Nate in July 2002. Robin was a bright addition to the Slonaker family and John loved her very much. Robin knew she could always count on John to buy a prom dress or say "yes" to almost any request. Nate has inherited his father's acumen for math, problem solving and "thinking outside of the box." John was very proud of his son and his accomplishments to date in his young life. John and Nancy lived together in four states, over 28 years and enjoyed many happy times together. John was a unique individual who had immense depth, compassion and intellect in his character. A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 2206 N. Cole Rd., Boise, ID. All who knew and loved John are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church Mission Committee.