John Peter Mohn

 

We lost John Peter Mohn on October 20, 2022 after his decades long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. The disease affected his body, but not his enduring trademark qualities – intelligence, curiosity, humor and wit. Pete died peacefully in his home in Sun Valley, Idaho.  

Pete was born in Brooklyn to Helen and Henry Mohn, spending his early years on the East Coast. He earned a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York and took a job in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Patent Office. Soon after, he was enticed  to move to California, where he graduated from the University of San Diego Law School and was admitted to the California Bar Association. He enjoyed telling entertaining stories about those years and his experiences in criminal law.

He found his niche however, as an intellectual property attorney when he accepted a position with The Boeing Company and moved to Seattle. He was a member of the Washington Bar Association, WSPLA, the Washington State Patent Law Association and the Aerospace Industries Association serving as chair of both. During these years he met and married Diane Litten, becoming a devoted husband and loving stepfather to Jennifer. They made their home in Bellevue, Washington until 1997. As Chief Patent Counsel, he was asked to oversee two Boeing Company acquisitions in Southern California and as a result, they moved to Huntington Beach where Pete helped manage that project in the Boeing Aerospace Division, Seal Beach. Both in Seattle and Seal Beach, he was admired and esteemed as an exceptional administrator.   

After retiring in 2008, they moved full-time to Sun Valley, Idaho, where they reveled in watching the changing seasons and sharing space with the incredible wildlife, making new friends and embracing Seattle friends in the area.  Soon, Pete became involved with the surprisingly large local Parkinson's support group which he eventually led.       

Pete loved singing with his perfect pitch, traveling, skiing, planning road trips, motorcycle trips with the “Over-the-Hill Motorcycle Club", ham radio involvement as a member of the ARRL, everything cars, stock market, wine and martinis, ice cream and gourmet food. In Sun Valley, he loved attending Writer’s Conference lectures, the Sun Valley Music Festival, events at Argyros Performance Arts Center, movies at the Magic Lantern and dinners at local restaurants.  As his Parkinson’s progressed, he was able to engage in these activities, in large part due to the support of this remarkably compassionate and accommodating community.    

 It has been an honor for Diane to share her life with this impressive, fun-loving, smart guy. He was a brave, determined and inspirational man. Pete will be missed by all who knew him, especially by his wife Diane, his stepdaughter Jennifer Litten Feldman (David), grandchildren Max and Alex Feldman, brother-in-law Dan Allnoch (Candy), sister-in-law Teresa  Allnoch (Suzi Lillibridge), cousin Nora Matzen (Gerhardt) and cousins in NYC and the Friesen Islands, Germany. Pete often said he wanted a big party instead of a memorial service. He will have his party and Celebration of Life in the summer of 2023.      

Pete and Diane are especially grateful for the exceptional medical assistance that helped him maintain a good quality of life for so long and for the amazing support of Hospice & Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley, the Sun Valley Fire Department, his dedicated care giver, Maggie Wisby and his beloved Hospice volunteer friend Jimmi, who visited each week with stimulating conversations and speech exercise support.