John B. Mooney, 92, died Thursday, January 21, 2016 at Evergreen Nursing and Rehabilitation Care Center in Modesto after a brief illness. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, he leaves behind many who love and will forever miss him.
John was preceded in death by his loving wife, Donna Kuroki Mooney. He is survived by his sons Steve (Nancy) Aredas of Turlock, Michael (Jennifer) Mooney of Arroyo Grande, and Kevin (Kathy) Mooney of Ceres; grandchildren Marissa Cameron, Kristyn Aredas, Alysson Aredas, Brianna Mooney, Kyle Mooney, Michael Mooney, Jr., and Logan Mooney; and great-grandchildren Ryland Cameron, Isla Cameron, and Aubree Faria.
John was born in Seattle, Washington, the son of John and Ethel Mooney. At the age of three, he and his family moved to San Diego, California where he attended local schools. He graduated from San Diego High School in 1941, and two years later enlisted in the United States Army Infantry. John served three years in the Asiatic Pacific Theater as an intelligence observer, during which time he was awarded the Purple Heart. After the war years, he moved to the Bay Area where he attended the University of California at Berkeley, majoring in history. In the Bay Area, he began a career in education, teaching at the junior high level for three years.
In 1956, John moved to Los Banos where he taught English at Los Banos High School for the next 30 years. He met his wife, Donna Kuroki, through friends in Livermore, California, and they were married in Tijuana, Mexico in 1961. A year later, she would move from Los Angeles to join him in Los Banos, where they lived for the next fifty-two years, working within the community and raising a family.
After his retirement from teaching in 1986, John continued to enjoy his favorite pastimes: gardening, swimming, crosswords, and Jeopardy. As his grandchildren and great-grandchildren arrived, he found a new pastime, always patient and ready to play with these children who adored him. John was also an animal lover; he loved his pets and they were devoted to him
Private Services will be held at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery.