John Bellamy Jr.

1921 - 2015

John Benton Bellamy, Jr.

May 15, 1921 - August 30, 2015

John Benton Bellamy, Jr., passed away peacefully at home in San Rafael on August 30, 2015. Born May 15, 1921, in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in Berkeley and Palo Alto, he graduated from University High School, Oakland, and from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, as well as the team manager for the Cal tennis team.

After college, John enlisted in the Navy and was sent to midshipmen school at Northwestern University in Chicago. After Naval officer training, he went to Mine Warfare School in Yorktown, Virginia, for eleven weeks. He was then assigned to a minesweeper and, as a Gunnery Officer, took command of the depth charge racks at the stern of the ship. His ship was part of the first invasion of the Philippines at Leyte, and later entered Manila Bay under heavy fire, earning John a commendation for "outstanding heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Manila Bay Area from February 14 to 18, 1945." After the war, John went to work for his family's business, J. B. Bellamy and Co. In 1967, he joined Peco Corporation in Milpitas, where he worked as an engineer until his retirement in the 1980s.

John is survived by his beloved wife of 36 years, Barbara Currier Bellamy; son Scott (Jimmy), San Francisco; daughter-in-law, Suzanne S. Bellamy, Indianapolis; four grandchildren: Bradley (Amy) Bellamy, Commerce Twp. MI; Marcus (Rubi) Bellamy, Bartlett, TN; Erica (Josh) Christie, Indianapolis; and Blair (Heather) Bellamy, Indianapolis; five great grandchildren; and two nieces, Marilyn Ford, Berkeley, and Sally Wright, Pleasant Hill, and their families. Also surviving are his four stepchildren, Cyndy H. Hardy, Kim Hamilton, Doug Hamilton, and Bill Hamilton. John was predeceased by two sons, John B. Bellamy III (Jerry) and Robert K. Bellamy (Bob), and two sisters, Harriet Brown and Barbara Wright. John's paternal grandfather, Frances Bellamy, was the author of the Pledge of Allegiance. John had a wonderful sense of humor, loved to debate about anything, and was much loved by his family and friends. John's family would like to thank his caregivers, especially Patricia Kauffman, who lovingly took care of him for 17 years.

A memorial service in honor of John will be held on Saturday, October 10, at 11:00 a.m. in the Community Room at Smith Ranch Homes, 500 Deer Valley Road, San Rafael.