By Lesley Andrus
Born near Amarillo, in west Texas, at age 6 John moved with his mother and older sister to the Willamette Valley in Oregon,
Because of his mother’s strict religious views, John was only allowed to associate with church members and was prohibited from participating in sports, music and school activities, as well as the normal student body. So, at age 18, when he finished high school, John headed out—first to the University of Oregon for a year, and then to Portland, where he completed barber’s college and obtained his license.
The Vietnam War was raging and John wanted to serve his country but was precluded by eardrums that had ruptured while diving. So, for 3-4 months he managed a men’s hairstyling salon. Then, two buddies called and off he went to Europe with a Eurail Pass and a backpack
While in Rome, John was approached by an agent in the U.S. Embassy in Rome regarding an alternative way to serve his country. There was—in a NOC (non-official cover) position, posing as a tourist.
In those days there was very little satellite/high-altitude surveillance being conducted; the major efforts were primarily “boots on the ground.”
After a condensed training course, John’s perambulations around the Middle East began—Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. He often met up with another traveler or two, and at one point with a Dutchman, where they got horses and rode through northern Afghanistan.
The two of them were a unique commodity in those parts and, after four days, concerns of safety and food sent them on.
Next was India, Pakistan and Nepal. In Nepal, John contracted dysentery and Hepatitis C, lost a tremendous amount of weight and realized he needed to get back to civilization. He was able to obtain a visa and headed to Uzbekistan and the Soviet Union. While in Leningrad, John met the owner of “Marimekko,” who invited him to Helsinki to model her clothing.
Over the course of time, John has visited 33 countries.
Around 1970, John returned to Portland, Ore., working first in a new, upscale hairstyling salon, and then becoming a field representative for Redken, traveling for a year through the five Western states. Redken then developed a national seminar called “Challenge of Success” and John joined the group as a contract lecturer, traveling around the nation giving two seminars a month, educating salon owners.
After life on the road, John returned to Portland, managing a salon for a couple of years and then starting his own salon with an “art studio” format. He married and had a son and they all lived on his sailboat, “Neverland,” on Bainbridge Island, in Washington, wintering in Beaver Creek, Ore., where they would housesit.
After he was divorced, John worked for Moore Co and in 1990 headed south to L.A. where for 13 years he was a distributor of high-allergy products. During this time there was a year in Costa Rica and short trips to Colombia, where he met Monica, whom he brought to the U.S. and married. They lived in Tucson, Ariz., until Monica left with her green card.
John then moved, living in Sedona, Ariz., for three years, Los Angeles, Portland and then Reno, Elko and Twin Falls. When he heard of a new facility in Hailey, he moved and decided to “unpack it” and “park it.” That was six years ago.
John is an avid reader, recommending “Sapiens” (which he is reading for the second time), “Everyday Pain Relief for People Over 50” and “Elon Musk.” Despite hip replacements and a painful spine, John lives by four creeds: Keep moving; Read and learn something new every week; Experience something new as often as possible; and Stay healthy.
