Our father, John Shore, Jr., was freed from the bondage of this earth to fly into the kingdom of light on July 24, 2018 after a long illness.
John was born in Seattle on March 28, 1923 to John and Marcelle (Chapaeuse) Shore. He was one of the quickly fading members of the greatest generation. His father struggled after coming home from Europe after many battles in WWI only to find hope dashed when the Great Depression fell upon the country. The storms of strife and poverty devastated his family, but determination and grace helped them weather the battering winds.
Dad would find odd jobs to help keep food on the table and newspapers for the holes in the bottom of their shoes. They would survive, and soon after graduating from high school, he enlisted into the Army and served with distinction in the war of the Pacific and in Korea. Understandably, he could never share any stories of the wars or how he earned the medals, but his eyes and actions always seem to say enough about the experience when asked.
Dad was a gifted sketch artist and, when overseas, would write to my sister and me through comic strips. He would draw Peanut characters complete with speech balloons containing things Mom would share with him in letters. We always looked forward to those letters! He loved anything electronic and would put together gadgets that would rejuvenate TV tubes and fix radios.
He really enjoyed spending time with his grandkids at the beach to discover hidden treasures and building sand castles. He was a firm but kind man that expected you to give your very best no matter the situation with determination and grace. His humor and straight talk are already missed by my sister and me.
In recent years, he could not fight off the effects of Alzheimer’s. But, as devastating as the disease is, it seemed to take him to a very positive place in his life before the war, keeping him in peace.
He is preceded in death by his parents, John, Sr. and Marcelle; two sisters, Marie and Marcelle; and his wife of 67 years, Bernice (Wise). He is survived by his brother Elmer; daughter Kandy (Jack); and son John (Jeri); five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. He always loved the last verse of Lord Tennyson’s poem, “When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wondered. Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred!”
