John B. Bush

1933 - 2021

Bush, John Burchard Jr., age 87, of Rancho Mission Viejo, CA, formerly of Boston, MA, passed away on February 3, 2021, at home with his beloved wife, Yasuko, by his side. John was preceded in death by his parents, Eleanor (Goldsworthy) Bush and John (Joe) Burchard Bush; his brother Michael Bush; his former wife Earline (Stowe); and his daughter Carolyn Bush. He is survived by his wife Yasuko; his children Catherine Bush Chiavarini and John E. Bush; grandchildren Andrew and Sarah Chiavarini; his great-grandson Michael; and nieces Jennifer, Pamela, Susan, and Linda. John was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana on September 3, 1933. He spent much of his youth in California, where he had strong family ties. While he lived many of his adult years on the east coast of the U.S., John never lost his love for Southern California and he retired to Laguna Beach with Yasuko in 1998. In the 1950s, John served as 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps and then earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. His expertise in chemistry brought John to the General Electric Company in Schenectady, NY, where he advanced his career in Research and Development. In 1980, John moved with his family to Massachusetts and was employed as Vice President of Research and Development for The Gillette Corporation. He was highly respected for his expertise and while employed by Gillette, he was called upon to provide testimony at a Senate hearing regarding the mission of the National Science Foundation. While John was passionate about the sciences, he also had a great appreciation for and understanding of the humanities. He especially enjoyed history, contemporary art, and music by Mahler, Wagner, and Dvorak. John was curious and never turned down an opportunity to sample new foods, introducing his children to delicacies such as Schweinehaxe, smoked eel, and his brother Michael's homemade Menudo. During his many trips to Japan, John also became a connoisseur of Japanese food and Sochu in particular. John was an avid reader, a brilliant thinker, and an enthusiastic teacher at heart. At the same time, he was humble about his achievements and his wealth of knowledge. He enjoyed spending time with friends and family, graciously and naturally passing along his curiosity about the world and desire for lifelong learning to his three children and to those who knew him. John had a very close relationship with his brother, Michael, and in addition to a shared love of fishing, they enjoyed lively intellectual debates on just about any topic! John's keen interest in learning also resulted in his pursuit of travel to over 70 countries, visiting cultural sites as well as locations of scientific interest. Included were visits he and Yasuko made to North Africa, Iran, and the Middle East.During his retirement years, John continued to pursue his love of learning and teaching by dedicating time and energy as a volunteer instructor for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of California/Irvine. His popular course offerings included many topics related to geology, as well as courses in evolution, the science of addiction, and current trends and advancements in science.John was well-loved and will be greatly missed by his family and by those who knew him. A private celebration of John's life will be held by his family at a future date. Donations in memory of John may be made to The UCI Foundation, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, UCI Division of Continuing Education, P.O. Box 6050, Irvine, CA 92616-6050.