John Stephen Medvin, 89, passed away on December 10, 2021 at his home in Napa after several months of declining health, John passed away in the loving arms of his wife, Sandy, of 55 years, and surrounded by their gentle caring children. John is survived by his wife Sandy, children, Jennifer, Kimberly (and son-in-law Matt), Christopher, and Shawn Ratto, his grandchildren (Gavin, Avery, Xander, and Ryan), his brother-in-law Ralph Melligio, sister Marianne Peak and sister-in-law Rosemarie Medvin (both of Cleveland, Ohio), sister-in-law Ella Medvin in Arizona, and many nieces and nephews. John was preceded in his death by his parents Thomas and Anna Medvin, siblings George, Millie, Joe and Tommy, Nephew Tommy Medvin JR., all from Cleveland.
John was born in Cleveland, Ohio, November 22, 1932 to Thomas and Anna Medvin. He grew up in a caring, busy family home with six siblings. Growing up, John was a lover of sports and excelled in baseball and basketball playing with friends, then recognized in high school for his abilities in that arena. His love of sports continued throughout his lifetime.
When John was 18, he joined the U.S. Air Force making it a career that he loved. It was during his tenure in the Air Force that he met and married the love of his life Sandy, whom he married on June 22, 1966. Recently, they celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary. They were stationed at several Air Force bases while on their journey of life together. John always said the one loved the most was a 3-year tour of duty in Hawaii. Even after ending that tour, John, Sandy, and their children visited Hawaii, spending many summer months there. John retired honorably after 21 years of active duty on March 1, 1973.
After his AF retirement, John took a job with Mare Isle Civil Service as a Planner and Estimator and retired in 1993 earning him the rare double service retirement award. During this time, he settled the family in Napa to build their life here. John continued his love of both family and sports, especially his favorite teams the Cleveland Indians and Browns. His love for both led him to coach many of his children's sports teams while they were growing up. This is something he took great pride in as well as volunteering for various community events. He truly loved his family and made every effort to provide a wonderful life for them.
In John's life after retirement, he enjoyed spending his free time researching stocks to by and sell. He loved golfing with friends from Napa Sirs at Napa Golf Course. He was very skilled at the game and even achieved 3 hole-in-ones in his life time, which is something he was very proud of. John had a reputation as an enjoyable man to be around by everyone that met and knew him. He had an innate sense of humor and ability to add levity to any situation he was presented with, are things many fondly remember about him.
The Medvin family would like to thank Dr. Besana and the Kaiser Hospice team for their dedicated care and compassion to John and the family.
A complete Honor Guard Service including a flag ceremony will be held on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, at 10:00 AM at the Tulocay Funeral Home located at 411 Coombsville Road in Napa. A celebration of his life will follow immediately after the services at the family home. In lieu of Flowers, the family requests that anyone who is wishing to salute John's memory and life long cachet to the community can make a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project in his name (https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org).
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