John Scott Conover

1936 - 2011

John Scott Conover, 74, died May 4, 2011, at Providence Hospital due to a stroke, with his wife and son at his bedside.
Memorial services will be held at 4 p.m., Wednesday, May 11, at All Saints Episcopal Church, Eighth Avenue and F Street, in Anchorage , with a reception following at Pioneer Hall, Sixth Avenue and F Street. The family requests memorial donations be made in John's name to Disabled American Veterans, 1201 N. Muldoon Road, Room 2-A-210, Anchorage, AK 99504.
John's cremains will be inurned in the Columbarium Wall at Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery on May 12 with full military honors.
John was born Nov. 23, 1936, in Logan, Utah to Wesley and Frances (Garnet) Conover. John enlisted in the Marines, serving in the 1st Marine Division Recon-CO Korea and onboard the Navy aircraft carrier, USS Randolph, among other assignments.
After medical retirement from the Marines, John worked as a structural drafter for Fluor Corp. in California. While in California, John married his first wife, Julie, and his daughter, Tammy, was born. John came to Alaska in January 1964 looking for adventure and new opportunities.
Finding employment and housing his first day in Fairbanks, John sent for the family and the birth of his son, Timothy Scott, followed in December 1964. John started school at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1967, taking semesters and time off for work as needed, graduating in 1973 with a bachelor's of science in civil engineering.
In 1974, John entered Cornell University for graduate work in structural engineering. The following year, his first marriage ended and he went back to California to work for Fluor.
After less than a year, Alaska called him back home.
During his professional career, John worked for several architectural, engineering and construction companies providing structural engineering design services as well as project management and quality assurance. John held professional engineer licenses in Alaska and Hawaii and a structural engineer license in California.
On St. Patrick's Day 1976, John began his next big adventure, marrying Shawneen (McGahey) Hupprich. In January 1981, John, the family and animals made their permanent home in Anchorage. Their marriage was filled with many more adventures, friends and good memories.
John is a life member of Fairbanks Men's Igloo No. 4 and Anchorage Men's Igloo No. 15 (past president, 2007 and King Regent, 2008), Pioneers of Alaska; charter member of Anchorage Elks No. 2868; Loyal Order of Moose 1534; American Legion, Jack Henry Post 1; Anchorage Senior Center, Alaska Yukon Pioneers and the Real Alaskans, During his career he was an active member in several professional engineering and building-related organizations.
John enjoyed all things military, especially anything connected with the Marines, enjoying the company of family, friends and pets, arguing with the TV over politics and news programs and was an avid reader, usually reading two or three books at one time.
His parents preceded John in death.
John is survived by his wife of 35 years, Shawneen; son and daughter-in-law, Tim and Karen Conover; daughter and son-in-law, Tammy and Ed Randolph; and grandchildren, Dylan and Jillian Conover, and Daryn, Katie, and Kyle Colledge.
Arrangements were entrusted to Janssen Funeral Homes.