Obituary

John Francis Sloat died on January 31, 2023 at the age of 92. He was born on February 16, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois to Della Gannon and Howard Sloat. He graduated from De La Salle Institute where he was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. He went on to attend St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota on a football scholarship.

He was a member of the US Army Signal Corps during the Korean War, though he would never talk about what he did during that time. He married Marie Fettkether in 1956 and they had four children: John, Jr. (wife, Mary), Kevin (wife, Julie), Tracy (deceased) (husband, Robert), and Patrick (wife, Leslie). As a child of the depression, he began his life in sales early, finding buyers for the pieces of coal he collected from passing coal trains. The family moved to California in 1976 where John continued a long and successful career in sales, retiring at age 82. When he wasn’t working, he could be found on his favorite golf course of 40 years, Costa Mesa Golf Course, where he would be out on the course shooting his age, or in the clubhouse shooting the breeze, telling jokes and stories.

John discovered photography late in life, but he pursued it passionately. He delighted in sharing his travels to far-flung places with family and friends through his beautiful photos. A natural critic, he brought his discriminating eye to movies and TV alike, giving an occasional one-thumb up, a rare two thumbs up, and quite often pronouncing something a “clunker.” He also loved books and enjoyed discussing them with his many grandchildren: Kate, Bridget, and Jack Sloat, Sarah, Zoe, and Jackson Sloat, Daniel Sloat, and Maelauren Hudson, and Chase, Brian, and Greg Leyva. He is also survived by a great grandchild, Eleanor Hudson.

A celebration of his life will be held at the Costa Mesa Golf Course on Thursday, March 2 at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to his beloved high school, De La Salle institute, at www.dls.org/shop/donation/.