John Francis Salmon

John Francis Salmon passed away from cancer on February 12, 2025. He died peacefully in his home surrounded by loved ones. Affectionately referred to as Papa, Boat Boy, CohoDawg, Jcoho or just John depending on who you asked, he walked through life with endless generosity for his community, a deep love for the Notre Dame Fightin' Irish and a profound depth of loyalty to his friends, neighbors and loved ones.

He is survived by his loving wife of twenty one years Dorothy Lind Salmon, his son John Kevin Salmon and wife Caryn and their children Quinn and Shay; his daughter Shawn Salmon and husband Nic Maisano and their children Sophia and Christopher; his daughter-in-law Bryanne Salmon and her sons Raymond and Duggan; his step-son Rob Lloyd and wife Bonnie and their daughters Grace and Arden; his step-son Scott Lloyd and wife Sam and their children William and Grey; his brother Jim Salmon and wife Lynn and their children Michael and Jennifer; his nephews Rick and Mark Salmon; his sisters-in-law Carol Church and Sue Schell; and his nieces and nephews Kari O'Donnell, Mike Schell, Ryan Schell, Ted Church, Katie Diemer and their families. He was preceded in death by his brother Rick Salmon, his first wife Nancy Salmon and his son Patrick Salmon.

John was born on August 6, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois to Frederick and Mary Salmon and was the youngest of three boys. He proudly attended St. Ignatius College Prep and University of Notre Dame from which he graduated in 1967 with a BBA in Accounting. He then received a J.D. from University of Illinois in 1971. He married his first wife Nancy in 1969 and raised their three children in Northbrook, Illinois while John built his early career in Chicago - first as a staff accountant in the Tax Department of Arthur Young & Company then in the law practice of Frankel, McKay & Orlikoff and finally as General Counsel & Secretary of Hawthorn Realty Group, Inc.

In the 1980s, John and the family relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area where he served as the Vice President of Property Development & Sales of Santa Fe Pacific Realty Corporation. He subsequently built on his private sector experience by serving the State of California as the initial Director of the Governor's Office of Asset Management, appointed by Governor George Deukmejian and Governor Pete Wilson. In that time, he was engaged by numerous public agencies including the United States General Services Administration, the California Department of General Services, the City of Los Angeles and many others to perform strategic real estate and organizational consulting assignments.

While his work in real estate development continued until the end of his life, his focus expanded in the years after he met Dorothy Lind, whom he married in 2004. Together, they invested significant energy developing and supporting dozens of causes across the Napa Valley, their shared love and the center of their lives. John served on the board of the Queen of the Valley Hospital Foundation and the Napa Yacht Club HOA and co-founded the Napa Leadership Council. He was an active contributor to the Napa RiverLine team, the Oxbow district taskforce and the Napa Housing Coalition. Together with Harry Price, he played a critical role protecting the legacy of Robert Mondavi at Copia. He could frequently be found organizing fundraisers for local and state officials, advocating for the thoughtful use of public land and mentoring next generation leaders. Many will remember his (not so) hard-hitting restaurant reviews in the Napa Valley Marketplace magazine. He logged thousands of miles in his boat up and down the Napa River, each ride full of history and friendship.

John's final months were spent living as he loved to be: traveling with his closest friends to Japan and Hong Kong, camping out overnight at his daughter's on Christmas Eve to enjoy the early morning with grandchildren opening presents, and cheering for Notre Dame's football team through the postseason playoff. John lived with a full heart until the very end. Those who knew him were better for it.

All are welcome to celebrate John's life on Saturday, March 15 from 12:00-3:00 PM at the CIA at Copia in downtown Napa. We kindly request an RSVP by March 3rd at https://tinyurl.com/4khna8zd.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Queen of the Valley Foundation. John Salmon

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