John David Kraft

John David Kraft of Reston, Virginia died at the age of 89 on August 20, 2025.

Born in Chicago in 1936 and raised in Indianapolis, John earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Industrial Psychology from Butler University. He chose to serve in the U.S. Air Force Reserves following graduation. He dedicated his career to federal service, working in Indianapolis; in West Point, NY at the United States Military Academy; and finally in Washington, DC. The majority of his service was for the U.S. Civil Service Commission (later reformed into the Office of Personnel Management), where he played a crucial role in overhauling the federal government's civil service exams.

Although John was born into a conservative Baptist family, he became a lifelong champion for progressive causes. Across decades he advocated for racial equality, spurred by his experiences attending a newly integrated high school as a youth in Indiana, witnessing the shameful conditions of the Jim Crow South while in the Air Force Reserves, and observing discrimination against Black job applicants during his early career as a social worker.

He did volunteer work throughout his life: serving as a hospice home visitor, developing a program to support students in DC Public Schools and their families, and serving as a volunteer companion to men with terminal AIDS at the Whitman Walker Medical Clinic. John took particular interest in gay rights and supporting those living with HIV/AIDS during the years of crisis after the disease first emerged in the U.S. In a volunteer capacity for Whitman Walker, John developed the first regional guide to AIDS resources in the Washington, DC metro area, published in 1998.

John remained an active community member and advocate after retiring in 2007. He continued his volunteer work and was active in the Unitarian Universalist church, which he joined in the late 1960s. With his wife Dottie, he organized activity groups at the Ashby Ponds senior living community in Ashburn, Virginia and played an instrumental role in creating the Ashby Ponds Library. He wrote multiple histories of the community while living there.

John had wide interests including caring for pets and wildlife, reading, writing, traveling, cooking, gardening, keeping up with current news, and playing bridge. He especially loved spending time with family.

Friends and family remember John as a deeply caring, joyful, generous, and supportive man. They recall his cheerful, blithe outlook towards aging and death that spoke to his unique perspective and the joy with which he should be remembered.

John wrote in his memoir, penned at 83 years old, "I have always been interested in helping relatives, neighbors, friends, and co-workers to optimally adjust to their life surroundings, joys, and sorrows. I constantly asked how I can help make this a better place to live."

"[My life] has been an interesting journey and quite rewarding. There are few regrets for what happened along the way... My main purpose in writing is to highlight the opportunities that came my way because of the efforts of various people who offered me help. I salute these people."

He is survived by beloved wife, Dottie; his children, Dena Carter (Theron) and David Kraft (Kathi); and five grandchildren: Jonathan Kraft and Matthew Kraft (Michelle Salazar) of Charlotte, NC; Michael Carter of Brooklyn, NY; and Tyler Carter and Olivia Carter of Vienna, VA.

The family would like to thank the dedicated staff of Lake Manassas Rehab, Reston Hospital Center, Bayada Health, The Kensington Reston, and Capital Caring Health for their loving care and support during John's last months. They also thank John's extended family, friends, and community members of The Harrison Apartments and The Kensington Reston. His spirit lives on in the many lives he shaped for the better.

A celebration of John's life is being planned, with details to be shared once finalized. In remembrance of John, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to Capital Caring Health or the Alzheimer's Association.