John Anthony Remembered

I remember when I first hired on at Great Northern Airlines in Anchorage around 1978 as an aircraft mechanic. John, Paul and Tony worked as a maintenance team and were already old hands there although both John and Paul were younger than me. They taught me and tested me and I had to prove my worth before they accepted me as another mech who could get the job done. We found that we all had other similar "interests" and hung out together at work and in our off time. John's charisma and abilities extended far beyond his exceptional talents as an aircraft mechanic. He was someone you could always count on.

The years went by and we went our separate ways but we always kept that friendship that we developed during many a sub-zero night working on old airplanes and more than one 7 AM beer together after graveyard shift was over.

In the 90's I ended up in Detroit working for Spirit Airlines and John came to me looking for a job. We had both matured some but it was the same old John. Quick to share a joke and always there for you. I was raising my son and John was with his lady friend but we still tried to get together when we could to laugh about old times and share new good times. When I left Spirit a few years later I was so pleased when he called me and told me he had been offered my old job there as Director of Maintenance. I knew with him at the helm that Spirit's maintenance department would continue to grow and improve.

I am proud to have known John and he will always be one of my closest friends. I just wish he was here so I could tell him that.

Posted for kdog