This is posted after John’s memorial service but is included for completeness. The below is copied directly from Steve Elswick’s email from October 13, 2021:
Distribute Widely!
Last week, we lost a vital member of our community… John Washenko! John is most familiar to those who have attended the ExtraOrdinary Technology Conferences over the years. During the conferences, John managed our conference bookstore and brought order out of chaos… as a volunteer! This year was particularly stressful as many of our regular volunteer staff was absent due to COVID. John cheerfully took up the slack… because he was that kind of man!
For the past 20 years, John travelled the country with me as we went from conference to conference representing TeslaTech. He really liked meeting new people. Additionally, he enjoyed attending the presentations and letting me know who were good candidates for our show. Often he would go convince them to put in an abstract or submit an article for the magazine ExtraOrdinary Science & Technology.
John was a man of faith. Even while manning the table and introducing people to the world of Tesla, he found time to spread the word of his Mormon faith. While there were aspects I disagreed with, we did not let that get in the way of our longstanding friendship. Too often today, it seems that society has lost the art of agreeing to disagree and build a foundation on the ideals we agree on. John had that knack… and he was a true friend that constantly reached out to help others.
For example, I lost my beloved dog and constant companion, Dozer, the night before I had to leave for the Roswell 70th anniversary. John had to drive most of the way as my eyes were filled with tears. My heart was wrenched with pain and I swore I would never get another dog as it was just too painful. During the drive, John told me that dogs love unconditionally, and I should never deny that love. A month later, God saw fit to place a couple of more dogs in my path… and remembering John, I took them in.
John has left us too early… and quite unexpectedly. He died in a rollover accident while on a trip to help a friend with some construction work. They were pulling a trailer and the trailer got loose and flipped their vehicle. John died instantly leaving behind his family wife JoAnn, his children, and his companion Rosie. I am sure Rosie is sitting by the door faithfully, patiently waiting for John to get home.
John Washenko will be laid to rest with military honors on Monday October 18.
The arrangements will be handled by Larkin Mortuary The services schedule is as follows:
Visitation 9-10AM (Larkin Mortuary -Riverton)
Memorial Service 10:30-12Noon
Graveside Service 1PM
There be an obituary posted online at
Larkin Mortuary ( https://www.larkinmortuary.com ) later this week.
May John Rest in Peace! Steve Elswick
