John H. Rush passed from this earth to join Beverly on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018, with his son at his side.
John was born in the long-forgotten Hoquiam General Hospital in Hoquiam, Wash. on June 16, 1935, to Lois Hubbard Rush and Frank Rush.
John attended elementary school on base in Dupont, Wash. as his Mother was a military nurse and they lived in a home on the base. Looking through all the grade cards that had been saved through all these years, Johns one problem area was disrupting the class from talking too much. It seems John’s love for socializing began at a young age. His family then moved back to the Harbor and John attended Miller Jr. High playing the trumpet in the band. John attended Weatherwax High School and loved playing End on the Aberdeen football team as #82. He graduated in 1953 and then joined the Navy Reserves stationed at Sand Point, Wash., where there he took classes in electronics. He loved he said, “to catch rides on the big military bomber planes”, and he learned how to scuba dive. After the Navy he became a fire fighter for the Aberdeen Fire Department and because of his knowledge of diving became involved in the Grays Harbor Search and Rescue unit.
John met his only true love Beverly while she was working at NBC Bank in Aberdeen and he asked her for their first date as she was leaving work one day in the banks parking lot. John and Beverly were married on July 11, 1958. One of John and Bev’s favorite things they did was to camp at Lake Chelan and waterski. They loved to take the ski boat out. John also enjoyed helping at his in-laws’ farm and had his own horse named Diamond, named thus for the star on his forehead. He used Diamond while a member of the Grays Harbor Posse with his Father in law, Lester Darrin.
Finally, “after years of trying”, according to John, John Lester was born on Nov. 27, 1966, and six months later the new family moved into their new custom-built home in Central Park.
To make more income for his growing family, John quit the fire department and purchased his own log truck hauling for Darrin Logging. After many years working weekends, he sold his truck and began working at Dahlstrom Lumber Co., Inc. Now he had weekends off to golf. John and Bev began golfing on a regular basis. They joined the Grays Harbor Country Club as this was the only club that was family oriented and they could bring little John along with them on the course. They both joined the men’s and women’s clubs and began participating in tournaments. John did very well and finally after 69 years of golfing, John got his first hole in one on hole #13 at the Grays Harbor Country Club. John served on the board of directors at the Country Club and on the board at Wynoochee Wildwood where they had a family lot. Many family times spent at Wynoochee with John Jr. and his family.
John had his first knee replacement in 1998 and decided to retire. He had much more time to spend on the golf course and on mornings he would head to town or to Grandmas Café in Elma to meet up with buddies for coffee and a sweet roll and to shoot the breeze. After losing Beverly he would often go to visit John and Lisa or head to McDonald’s for coffee or lunch with friends. He tried to stay busy as long as as he was physically able. For the last two years John began needed care but up until 48 hours before his passing he was able to stay in his home. What a blessing that was for him. He is missed but those closest to him know how he longed to be with Beverly.
At his request there will not be a service held. For any who wish to honor John and Beverly Rush please donate to the local PAWS in their name.
