John Winston Churchill, of Sublimity, Oregon, peacefully passed away on October 10, 2022, surrounded by loved ones.

John was born on October 13, 1929, to Zoe and C.W. (Winston) Churchill in Ventura, California.  At an early age the moved to Laws, a small community in the Owen's Valley of California, living in a large rock house and operating a mill that processed mined material.  As a boy and young man John often joined C.W. on trips to work various mining projects, driving his interest in the outdoors and in geology.

John graduated from Bishop Union High School in 1947, On June 15 ^th , 1950, he married his high school sweetheart, Edyth (Edy) Yunker.  John and Edy had three children, daughter Sharon (Sherry), Lesie (Moose), and son John (John-John).

John worked at many jobs, including felling trees in the Inyo National Forest to supple the mill in Bishop and working as an underground miner for Wah Chang Mining at the Black Rock Mine, where he also served as the Union shop steward.  He also maintained / repaired the power line supplying the University of California's White Mountain Research Station.  One of his more intense adventures occurred during this stint when he was injured in a helicopter crash high in the White Mountains and walked out for help; John, the other passenger, and the pilot ended up ok.  While he was out of town once, Edy found John a job at California Interstate Telephone Company in Bishop, starting his long career with the telephone company.  He "climbed the pole" starting as a lineman, eventually working his into management.  After many moves in California (Bishop, Victorville, Barstow), Nevada (Gardnerville, Minden), Oregon (Silverton), and Washington (Mt. Vernon, Issaquah), he retired in 1988.  He and Edy built their retirement home in the Willamette Valley, Oregon overlooking the Ankeny Wildlife Refuge and enjoying fabulous views and the waterfowl migration for nearly 40 years.

John loved the outdoors, especially hunting, fishing, boating, and hiking.  He enjoyed many trips hunting and fishing with his friends in the rugged British Columbia and in the spectacular country in Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Oregon.  John and Edy ran a number of exciting rivers in the northwest and southwest using a drift boat, canoe or raft, and traveled extensively throughout the west exploring and enjoying wildlife, geology, archeology, and beauty of the great outdoors.

John was famous for putting flowers in the bullet hole in his right ear (from a hunting accident when he was about 10 years old). In his later years, two of his favorite pastimes were mowing the grass (about 3 acres) at high speed and making jam – he made the world's best strawberry and raspberry freezer jam.

After his passing, the family gatherer at his and Edy's home to celebrate what would have been John's 93 ^rd birthday. We shared great memories and stories and made jam.  We wore our headlamps that he had given us all – he couldn't pass up a good sale on headlamps at COSTO!

John was Predeceased by his parents, Zoe & C.W., and sister Elizabeth (Betty) Hutton.  He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Edy, and his three kids, Sher Churchill (Taos, NM), John L. Churchill (Sun Valley, NV), grandsons Jeff Churchill and Jake Churchill, and Leslie and Oran Whitaker (Salem, OR) granddaughter Katie Whitaker and grandson Bryce Whitaker and wife Tayler, and dear niece Edyth Hutton and nephew Bob Hutton (Incline, NV)

John requested no service.  His ashes will be scattered on top of the White Mountains in California at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the non-profit Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA).