John E. Powell was born on May 25, 1936, at home in Olney, Illinois to Lula M. Powell and Ira E. Powell.

John was an ambitious youth and after he got his first bicycle at the age of nine, started delivering newspapers.

After graduating from Richland High School in Olney, John went to Central Missouri State on a basketball scholarship. After a year of college he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. In the Navy, he went to photo school and served as official photographer on the Battle Ship USS Iowa during his enlistment. He also represented the U.S. Navy on the basketball court, playing several games in Europe, when sailing in the Mediterranean.

When returning to civilian life John worked for a couple of different Aerojet companies as a high speed photographer, one of them being Rocketdyne. He eventually went to electrical apprenticeship school and became a journeyman electrician, which is the career he followed for the next 42 years, spending his last 20 years as a supervisor.

John loved mentoring young people and spent several years coaching youth basketball and youth football when he lived in Colorado. He also spent many a Wednesday night at Ocean Lake Christian Church in Lincoln City, Oregon, supervising “Kid’s Club” games. He chaperoned a few overnight youth adventures, with the other youth leaders of OCC and even played a character in one of their plays.

John loved to travel and did a lot of it after his retirement in 2001. He enjoyed several cruises going all around the world. He also loved spending time in Tobago, where he owned a time share. He would go golfing, snorkeling and do scuba there. He also enjoyed attending church at the Church of Christ in Scarborough, Tobago.

On one of his trips, he spent time evangelizing by giving out several audio New Testament bibles from “Faith Comes by Hearing," and spent several hours one afternoon singing hymns with the off duty guides at the Argyle Water Fall, there.

John went home to be with the Lord September 11, 2020 in DePoe Bay, Oregon.

Information shared by John’s sister, Elaine Powell Jones, June 13, 2023