John Champion

Champion, John Howard 1960 - 2009 John Champion went to be with his Lord and Savior on January 27th, 2009. John was born to Charles and Lynll Champion on July 18, 1960 in Bakersfield, CA. He moved to Anchorage, Alaska when he was 6 and graduated from Service High School in 1978. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University in 1983. There he met and married his wife of 27 years, Dawn, on June 20, 1981. Following his graduation from OSU he worked for ARCO Alaska until 1995, at which time he moved and began working for Occidental Petroleum Corporation in Bakersfield. While working for Oxy, he and his family spent 6 years in Qatar. John was a distinguished and highly respected Petroleum Engineer. As a family, they traveled throughout the world, experiencing the wonders of various places and cultures. John was a genuine seeker and follower of Jesus. His greatest desire was to see the Lord glorified through his life. He was a member of The Way Fellowship and his heart was to see the lost saved and reach out to those in need with the love of Jesus. As he battled cancer, he was an example of the strength and hope we have in Christ. He never once despaired, never lost hope, and never gave up on his faith. He was a man with immeasurable patience. He truly modeled what a Godly husband, father, and friend look like. He was especially passionate about his family, pouring love and wisdom into his children. John leaves his wife. Dawn; his amazing sons, Daniel and Christopher whom he raised to be fine men, and his precious daughter, Mihaela, his princess. He was preceded in death by his mother, Lynll Champion. He is survived by his sister, Carolyn Champion; his father, Charles and step-mother, Susan Champion. He will be missed dearly, but we trust him back to our Lord and Savior, to whom he always belonged. A celebration of his life will be held at The Oaks Community Church, 10200 Campus Park Drive in Bakersfield on February 3, 2009 at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, and in honor of John's passion, we welcome contributions to be sent to The Way Fellowship, Missions Fund. PO Box 10717, Bakersfield, CA 93389.