John Cole

December 8, 1942 - May 23, 2025

Location Of Death: John Day, OR United States

Celebrating Life

John N. Cole passed away peacefully on May 23, 2025, at his home in John Day at age 82. He was surrounded in his final hours by his family. John was born on December 8, 1942, to Francis and Edith Cole in Prairie City. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Janie Cole, his two sons, Michael (Randi) and Max (Tara), and his four grandchildren, Mackenzie, Sarah, Tyler, and Joe. He is also survived by his three sisters, Janet Baker, Kathy Kremer, and Meredith Olsen. John was a lifelong resident of Grant County and loved the outdoor activities it afforded him, including hunting, fishing, mushroom foraging, and woodcutting. He was also an avid golfer and sports enthusiast. As a devoted father and grandfather, John’s passion was his sons and his grandchildren. He loved spending time with them and sharing his love of the outdoors. This was never more evident than on the Memorial Day weekends the family always spent together, gathering mushrooms, playing pinochle, shooting trap, enjoying a cocktail, and debating the best way to cook a morel. John was known for his quick wit, stubbornness, thriftiness, and fierce devotion to his family. Many things can be debated, but his love of his family was undeniable. Though John had a somewhat gruff exterior, he had a very tender heart, which was shown in his love for his dogs, feeding the many quail, birds, and rabbits on his property, and saving apples to feed the deer in the winter. John attended the College of Idaho and the University of Oregon. He served in the United States Army stationed in Germany as a Military Policeman for two years. At that point, he realized what he really wanted to do was to come home and work in the woods. He was a timber faller for 30 years. There will be an informal celebration of life for family and friends on June 21, 2025, at 64120 Juniper Lane, John Day, Oregon, at 12:00 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to John Day Golf Course or the Grant County Library in John’s honor through Driskill Memorial Chapel at 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, Oregon 97845. Obituary courtesy of Driskill’s Memorial Chapel.

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