John Nunan

1924 - 2015

John Dudley Nunan

October 9, 1924 - July 24, 2015

John Dudley Nunan, a native of Minnesota and a longtime resident of Carmichael, CA, passed peacefully at the age of 90 at home on Friday, July 24th.
A true Minnesotan, John was brought up to believe that the harsh climate there was not a challenge but an opportunity to enjoy life to its fullest. As a boy, he loved skating, ice hockey and skiing in the winter as much as he enjoyed sailing and tennis in the summer. As a student at Blake School in Hopkins, MN he starred at football and track as well as hockey. His parents Dud and Leone brought up John and his two sisters to have a positive outlook and to get the most out of life.
John attended Pomona College in California while concurrently serving in the US Army as a meteorology specialist. Although he played football and ran track at Pomona, it was skiing California's snowy mountains that captured most of his attention.
Returning to Minnesota after graduation, John courted and married the love of his life, Mary Stacy, in 1949. Their first home was in Minneapolis where son John was born but they soon moved to Davenport, Iowa where John had gone into the agricultural chemical business. Daughter Stacy and son Todd were born there before John and Mary got the itch to try living in California. In 1957 they packed up and moved the family to Lafayette, CA. John sold steel walls systems for EF Hauserman Co. Daughter Gail, born in 1961, rounded out the Nunan clan.
Always the entrepreneur, John seized on an opportunity in 1967 to buy a franchise for the Northern California territory for Trus Joist, a roof structure component firm. With a great team, the John D. Nunan Co., became a top division in the country and operated successfully for over thirty years.
Throughout his working life, John and Mary were avid tennis players and skiers, depending on the season. Most weekends were devoted to family activities and sports. He became a PSIA-certified ski instructor and taught at Diamond Peak during its early years when it was known as Ski Incline, getting in as much free skiing as he could. He remained a very good skier well into his 80's.
Through daughter Stacy, he developed a love of horses and for many years owned, trained and showed a stable of cutting and racehorses. During this period, he was seldom seen without a cowboy hat.
In retirement, John ramped things up - perfecting his golf swing, introducing anyone who would listen to the latest ski techniques and working part-time for his son John at Unger Construction.
John was an accomplished pianist and played many event "gigs" with the Sacramento Rotary Rooters band.
He also spent plenty of time with each of his children and grandchildren always supporting their activities and life choices. He was their mentor, always encouraging them to seek their own path.
John and Mary traveled the world together, usually with some skiing destination involved, but also hosted great family trips to Hawaii, Montana, Mexico and, of course, Minnesota.
John was an active member of Arden Hills, Rio Del Oro, Rotary, Kandahar Ski Club, Sutter Club, Oar & Paddle Club, Sacramento Sailing Club and the Grandfather's Club.
It's often said of a person that "he never met a stranger". Nothing could have been more true about John. He never passed on the opportunity to make a new friend. A casual chairlift conversation sometimes led to a lifelong friendship. He was a great listener and always took keen interest in others. He was always a helping hand to people and a promoter of their ideas. His positive approach to everyone was infectious and drew others to him.
John was a perfect gentleman, always impeccably dressed and a great dance partner. He and Mary always drew attention on the dance floor.
In the last years of his life at home, he was blessed with wonderful loving caregivers. Team Nunan: Kendry, Lia, Heather, Victoria, Conchita, Karina, Natalie, Kate, and Alicia all adored and pampered him. His good friend Vladimir always had time to help around the house and accompany him to water aerobics sessions and a soak in the jacuzzi.
John will be deeply missed by his wife, Mary, sisters Deborah MacRae and Barbara Miles, daughters Stacy Williams (Greg) and Gail Kennedy (Patrick), sons John (Susan) and Todd (Marcy Cederblom), grandchildren John (Elizabeth) and Bjorn Nunan, Ezra (Jenica) and Anna Williams, Griffin (Olivia Hayward) and Glyn Kennedy and great grandchildren Noah and Nathan Williams, and Alice Nunan.
Friends are invited to a celebration of John's life on Wednesday, August 12th at 10:30 AM at Arden Hills, 1220 Arden Hills Lane, Sacramento, CA 95864.