John Bascom Waskom IV

John Bascom Waskom IV died at home April 19, 2024, surrounded by his family.
He was born September 20, 1940, in Houston and lived most of his youth in Dallas.
John graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas in 1959 and attended North Texas State University, graduating with a business degree in 1963.
After college, he attended the U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and was commissioned an ensign in 1963. He served active duty on the destroyer USS Waldron from 1963 to 1966. He then served in the U.S. Naval Reserve for 20 years, retiring with the rank of captain. He enjoyed the company of his fellow reservists and travel, especially a trip to Korea in 1985.
In 1968, John's aunt Shirley Waskom introduced him to her young friend from work, Judy Price. Judy and John were married in 1969 and enjoyed 55 years together. He was a great father and was game for all activities, whether dance performances, Millsaps soccer games, or trips to the beach. An engineer by profession, John worked in new product development for companies in Albuquerque and Phoenix before returning to Dallas in 1978. At that time, he began working at Abbott Laboratories as a senior manufacturing engineer, responsible for the design, development, and manufacture of medical diagnostic equipment. At Abbott, he was part of the team who designed the Vision rapid-blood-testing machine, the first
of its kind, which revolutionized patient care.
Upon his retirement from Abbott in 2000, John and Judy moved to Jackson, Mississippi, to begin their careers as professional grandparents. They attended too many baseball games, school plays, and birthday parties to count.
His hobby and passion was sailing, which he learned from his father. He was a member of the Corinthian Sailing Club in Dallas and later the Jackson Yacht Club. He encouraged and taught others to sail and was recognized for this in 1991 with the Lightning Class Steketee Trophy and in 2008 with the Dick Fritz Memorial Trophy.
Visitation will be at St. James' Episcopal Church in Jackson on Tuesday, April 23, beginning at 1 p.m. in Oak Ridge Hall, followed by the Requiem Eucharist at 2 p.m.
John is survived by his wife, Judith Lee Waskom; daughters Lisa Waskom (Tina Burgos) and Lee Anne Bryan (Chase); grandchildren John Chase Bryan, Price Bryan, and Bailey Bryan; sister Ann Waskom Felty (Hal); and cousins Cindy Waskom (Sandy Long) and Susan Waskom and her children.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. James Episcopal Church, Stewpot, or the charity of your choosing.