John W. Hesch

John Walter Hesch was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on January 4, 1949. He moved with his parents to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1961 and graduated from Cortez High School in 1967. Following a year at American River College in Rancho Cordova, California, he signed up for the Air Force. John himself summarized his military and subsequent civilian careers as follows:
I am a Retired E7, USAF. I was at Binh Thuy from Feb 1971 to June 1971, Then Vung Tau till December 1971. When I went stateside I worked as a T-29/C-131 crew chief at Castle AFB and Edwards AFB. In 1975 went to be a flight engineer on C-141A's and C5's at Travis AFB and Altus AFB. After retirement in 1989 went on to flying A-300 Airbuses in Japan, China, Taiwan, and UAE. I was medically grounded a few years ago, so I retired. (from the GISearch website).

In August 1972, John married Juanita Gayle Morris. They had two children, John Jr. of Boise, Idaho, and Beth Ferguson of Snyder. Juanita passed away at a young age in June of 1981. He was also preceded in death by his parents, Herbert S. Hesch and Elizabeth Lynch Hesch, and his brother, Steven G. Hesch.

He married Karen Gates Hesch in 1983, blending their two families. John and Karen eventually retired in Snyder. John is survived by his wife, Karen Hesch of Snyder, his two children, three step-children: Geoffrey, Kim and Heather, and many beloved grandchildren. Also surviving are his three sisters: Anne Varner (Daniel), Linda Alkove, and Irene Hesch; nieces, nephews, cousins, and the many friends he made through-out his life.
During the last year of his life, he not only battled progressive Parkinson’s Disease, but also the ravages of COVID-19 infections. He passed away in his sleep on October 9, 2021, at the VA Home in Lawton. We would like to thank the VA Home in Lawton for their care of John during the last years of his life.
A Memorial service with military honors was held on October 20, 2021, at Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Parkinson’s Disease Association (https://www.apdaparkinson.org/) or to Air Force Family Support Programs (https://afas.org/air-force-family-support-programs/)