John Arthur Sturney
Obituary
John Arthur Sturney
June 4, 1928 - August 1, 2023
John Arthur Sturney passed away peacefully at the age of 95 after a life full of marvelous opportunity, world travel, and family celebrations.
John was born in Bournemouth, England, the eldest of five children, and raised there until moving to London at age 14 to work for the Shell Oil Company. He entered the British Royal Navy at age 18, near the end of World War II, and afterward started work as a travel agent in London in his mid-20s. He spent most of his career in the travel and hospitality industry, moving into sales and marketing for commercial airlines Pan Am, Northeastern, and Hawaiian Air. John oversaw the board of tourism for the Bahamas and then took positions in sales and marketing for resorts in Sun Valley, Idaho until his retirement.
John and his family traveled and lived in beautiful destinations around the world, including Bermuda, Montreal, Florida, Hawaii, and Idaho. While living in Idaho, he became an avid hiker and would venture out nearly every day to the mountains around Sun Valley. Eventually he moved to California to be closer to his children and their growing families.
John enjoyed precision barbequing, crossword puzzles, and his evening gin martini. His warm smile and ready handshake always put visitors at ease, and he would delight in regaling them with stories of his comical adventures on the Duke of York battleship or the harrowing nights in London during German bombing raids. He shared his love of the ocean and the mountains with his children and grandchildren, as well as his appreciation for a quality micro-brewed I.P.A.
John will be dearly missed by his children Gary Sturney (Tracy), Kira Keane (Tom), and Elke Bray (Scott); his beloved grandchildren Sabrina, Marina, Jack, Bennett, Tessa, Henry, and Maggie; and his siblings Margaret Houghton and Richard Sturney.
Assisted by Monte’s Chapel of the Hills, San Anselmo.
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