John Earnest

1951 - 2025

John T. Earnest, 74, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of July 4, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. A fitting day for a firework of a man.

John was born on February 17, 1951, in Wichita, Kansas, to Leland and Reta Earnest. His early years took him from Gartner Elementary to middle school in Huntsville, Alabama, before returning to Wichita, where he graduated from Southeast High School in 1969. It was there he met many of his lifelong friends-Rod, Jack, Reed, Jerry, Mike, Jim, Dwight, Kent, and others-friendships that lasted a lifetime.

John went on to attend both the University of Kansas and Wichita State University, where he was a proud member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He earned a dual degree in biology and chemistry and later completed Medical Technology School at St. Francis Hospital (now Via Christi/Ascension), where he began a 44-year career as a medical technologist in the hospital's lab.

It was also at St. Francis where he met his lifelong partner in crime, Keith Nelson, and the love of his life, Carolyn Claxton. Carolyn and John were married in July 1973, beginning a remarkable 51-year journey filled with adventure, laughter, and love.

Their honeymoon set the tone for a life of exploration-traveling through Iceland and Europe before returning home for family fun at Bull Shoals Lake. From there, they explored nearly every corner of the U.S. (save Hawaii), along with Mexico and Canada. They hiked the Smokies and Rockies, sailed and scuba dived the waters of the Bahamas and Virgin Islands, snow and water skied, and canoed favorite rivers like the Buffalo.

One of John's most cherished stories was a river float down the Mississippi from Mark Twain's Hannibal, MO. It featured a custom-built floating "poker-picnic table" boat-crafted from a dare by friend Gary Damm and made real with the help of pals Paul Fiacco, Kim Banta, Reed Edgington and many others. That legendary trip in 2010, documented by best friend Jack Graham, became a symbol of the joy, friendship, and fun John cultivated everywhere he went.

Together, John and Carolyn raised their children, Ashley and Joe, in homes they remodeled across Fairmont, College Hill, and Santa Fe Lake. A skilled woodworker, John built furniture, added rooms, and even installed a fireplace. He later started his own business, Shutterhut, crafting custom plantation shutters for local and out-of-state designers.

After a stroke in 2015 prompted early retirement, John and Carolyn embraced life on the road-selling their home to live for a year in a 33-foot RV. Their first destination: a bold journey along the Alaska-Canada Highway to the Last Frontier in 2018. As always, their adventures were often shared with Ashley, Joe, extended family, and the many beloved friends.

John is survived by his wife, Carolyn; daughter Ashley Stephens (Ryan); son Joe Earnest (Meagan); and four adored granddaughters: Indiana, Evelyn, Savannah, and Milly, who lovingly called him "Shaggy Poppa." He also leaves behind his nephew, Pat Earnest (Catharine), their daughter Margaret, and a large extended family of Earnests, Repps, and Claxtons.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Leland and Reta Earnest, his sister Suzanne Earnest-Brito, and brother-in-law Charles Claxton, along with many close friends whose memories live on in the stories John loved to tell.

Please join us in celebrating John's remarkable life by sharing your memories and laughter.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.

Brightwater Bay,.

4900 West 31st, South,.

Wichita, KS. 67215.