John Henry Dillingham Jr.

1935 - 2011

John Henry Dillingham, Jr., of Camarillo, Calif., and Gold Beach, Ore., died on June 11, 2011, following a bicycle accident.

John is survived by his children, Cheryl and Michael Hoes, of Arcata, Calif., Glen Page Dillingham, of Redlands, and Alan and Amanda Dillingham, of Seattle, Wash., and by his best friend and loving companion of 23 years, Joan Grasty, also of Camarillo and Gold Beach.

John was born to John and Margaret Dillingham on Feb. 2, 1935, in Austin, Texas. When he was 11, he and his parents moved to the San Fernando Valley where he graduated from North Hollywood High School in 1952. He attended Los Angeles Valley Junior College where he was a member of the 1954 championship gymnastics team (rope climbing was his specialty). In June of 1959, John graduated from the Pasadena Art Center College of Design where he learned the skills for his future career in graphic design.

Following graduation he married Laura Page and they settled in the San Fernando Valley where they started their family of three children. John went to work for Eastman Ad Agency and then later for Ken Eastman when he opened his own firm. John and Laura were divorced in 1980 and John moved to Camarillo where he started his own business, Ad Service. In 1987, John and Joan met on a blind date and have been together ever since. They enjoyed a very full and loving life, for the first few years commuting between John's home in Camarillo and Joan's in Long Beach.

Following retirement, Joan moved to Camarillo and they would split their time between Camarillo and their summer home in Oregon. They both enjoyed traveling and were able to share trips to Europe, Mexico, Latin America, Thailand, Singapore, Hawaii and Alaska, cruising being the medium of choice. This last May, they spent two weeks in New Orleans and the Bahamas. John had a whole galaxy of hobbies including trapshooting, sailing, auto racing, model airplanes, golfing, astronomy, and biking.

He was an active member of several clubs including the Channel Islands Bicycle Club, the Saticoy Senior Golf Club and the Cedar Bend Golf Club. He was also a founding member of the Camarillo Family YMCA.

He was a voracious reader with a constantly inquiring mind, delving into many different areas of interest. If John was interested in a topic, he would absorb knowledge like a sponge. He and his friends enjoyed spirited discussions on a variety of topics and John always had more than two cents worth to contribute! John's youthful spirit, sense of humor, and open, outgoing nature made him many instant friends. He never met a stranger. If a plumber came to the house, he left as a friend!

He also had many beloved furry friends over the years and is currently survived by his feline family of Nibbles and Fritz. John was a sweet, happy, bright, loving man who will be greatly missed by his friends and his family. He was truly taken too soon.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Reardon Simi Valley Funeral Home. There will be no funeral, but a celebration of life for friends and family will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, at Storz Performance, 239 South Olive, Ventura. Please RSVP to 805-484-3222.