John C. ROACH

1952 - 2017

ROACH, John C.

1952 - 2017

Family, sports, and travel were the loves of John Roach's life. At home, there would always be a game on TV whether it be Mariner's baseball, Seahawks football, Gonzaga basketball, soccer, it didn't matter. Fortunately, his children and grandchildren played sports and he attended every game he could to cheer them on. He especially enjoyed traveling whether it was for the U.S. Navy or for pleasure, planning every trip with great detail and bang for the buck.
John was born October 30, 1952, in Butte, Montana, to Jack and Barbara McElhenney Roach. He attended St. John's Elementary and Boys Central High School in Butte until 1969, when his family moved to Spokane, WA. John then graduated from Shadle Park High School in 1970.
In 1971, John joined the U.S. Navy and was chosen for nuclear submarine service after completing training. He was assigned to the U.S.S. Henry Clay, SSBN 625, and completed two patrols, staying with the boat throughout its overhaul in Portsmouth, NH, where he completed his service in 1977. His service in the Navy took him to California, Idaho, New Hampshire and Hawaii, where he was stationed at Pearl Harbor in 1974.
As an electrician's mate in the Navy, John received intensive training in electrical theory and nuclear power theory at Naval Facilities in San Diego and Vallejo, California. After the Navy, John was accepted into the apprenticeship program at IBEW, Local 73, in 1978 in Spokane. He continued his career as a journeyman electrician until his retirement in 2009, working for several shops in the Spokane area. He also worked at Kaiser Aluminum (Mead Works) for 10 years as an electrical maintainer. He worked on many public projects during his career, but enjoyed working on school construction including the Keller, WA school, remodeling of Lewis and Clark High School and Northwood Middle School.
John met his wife, Mary Lower, in May of 1971, in Spokane. They married the following year in Spokane and began their family in San Diego, California. His greatest legacy was his family and he worked hard to provide for them, even jobs he wasn't quite crazy about, such as his brief stint as a real estate agent.
Always a sailor at heart, John loved boating local lakes, as well as camping and his brief gold mining career with his mining dredge in the summers. Much like his father Jack, he was a "builder" and hands-on learner, applying newfound construction skills to his home in trying to improve it.
John was diagnosed with lung cancer in the summer of 2015, and optimistically fought through it until he passed away peacefully at his home on June 8, 2017. Throughout this past year, he maintained his sense of humor and love for life by renewing his passport and shopping for a new truck.
John was a well-loved husband, father and grandfather, and is deeply missed. He is survived by his mother, Barbara Roach; wife of 45 years, Mary Roach; his children, Neil (Jackie), Glen (Teena) and Anne; his brother, Douglas (Kelly) and his seven grandchildren. He is also survived by aunts and uncles, Teryl and Nick Merzlak, Joan and Vern Fava, Ed Lisac, several nephews and nieces and his Lisac, Fava, Gray, Kirkpatrick and McElhenney cousins. He was preceded in death by his father, Jack in 2004, his sister, Nylene Saville in 2016, and son, Adam in 1973. We are confident that John and Jack are fishing the Big Hole River in Montana while lunching on pork chop sandwiches.
Memorial Service for John will be held July 8, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at the Holy Cross Cemetery Chapel, 7200 N. Wall St., Spokane, WA with Inurnment to follow. Our family is extremely grateful to Dr. Arvind Chaudhry and his staff at Summit Cancer Centers, Hospice of Spokane for their loving support and to the staff at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center who walked with John on this journey. Our family would appreciate memorial contributions in John's name be made to Hospice of Spokane, PO Box 2215, Spokane, WA 99210, or Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, Attn: Voluntary Services, 4815 N. Assembly, Spokane, WA 99205.