John Harry Talbot

On October 6, John Harry Talbot passed away in Sonoma, California in the loving care of his family. As the youngest of four siblings, he grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. John later married his childhood sweetheart, Camilla Munden, with whom he celebrated 62 years of marriage. Together they raised their six children. John was preceded in death by his parents Stella and Ralph Talbot, his two older brothers Richard and Wallace, his sister Doris Castro, and his loving wife Camilla Talbot.

While growing up in Kansas City, John developed a love for the outdoors as he often explored  the urban forest of Swope Park. As a teenager in the Boy Scouts, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He also had a passion for mechanical drawing and design. After graduating from high school, John joined the United States Air Force and served as a mechanical draftsman at Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento, California. During his service, John fell in love and married Camilla, who joined him at Mather.

Once John completed his service, the couple moved to Los Angeles where John attended UCLA Extension Trade School to further develop his mechanical drafting and detailing skills. Soon after, he was accepted into the United Association of Plumbing and Pipefitters as a plumbing apprentice. Throughout his long plumbing career of 61 years, John was recognized as a highly skilled and accomplished plumber.

In 1978, John retired from his plumbing career and moved his family to Grants Pass, Oregon, where the family could pursue their love of the outdoors. This is when he established his own plumbing business. After two years of managing his business, John decided to pursue his interest in mechanical engineering by accepting a position at Scott Company in Los Angeles. This experience led him to develop his mechanical engineering consulting services where he worked on major design projects, most notably the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station at the geographic South Pole. In 2010, John fully retired to enjoy a peaceful life with Camilla in their beloved Oregon forest. 

As a Catholic, John joined the Knights of Columbus and served his local church in many capacities. At Saint Ann’s in Grants Pass, Oregon, he served as an architectural committee member for the church school and was instrumental in maintaining and improving the church. More importantly, John took an active interest in the other members at the church and was always ready to provide assistance whenever needed. This concern and interest for others also extended to his neighbors, where all were welcome into his home for good conversation and encouragement. 

John’s family meant everything to him. He is survived by his children: Diana Blend, Patricia Talbot, Sandra Greenleaf, Debra Kick, John Michael Talbot, Thomas Talbot and their spouses Michael Blend, Steve Heard, Mark Greenleaf, Don Kick, and Yvette Talbot. John will be missed by his twelve grandchildren: Sean Gosselin, Becca Chotkowski, Monica Felice, Jenny Greenleaf, Salynn Simon, Brandon Talbot, Kristina Rainwater, Anders Lundgren, Joshua Talbot, Ashley Talbot, Nicholas Talbot, Colt Heard, and eleven great grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews.

Due to the Coronavirus, services will be delayed for at least six months. 

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Our Loving Father, John H. Talbot

We (his six children) are surely missing our dad. He was a calm, beautiful soul with a charming smile. In each of us he instilled love, compassion, thoughtfulness, dedication, diligence and the sense of family. He was the best listener and often helped us trouble shoot our issues. He was a great conversationalist. Everyone who befriended dad, or even those passing through, enjoyed his company and mild-mannered discussions. It is his smile that sticks out for us, it was contagious.

He accepted and embraced our choices in spouses and loved them like they were his own. As a grandfather, he got to know and enjoy each of his twelve grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. As an uncle, his nephews and nieces adored him. He was certainly beloved by all of us.

Along with his wife, Camilla Talbot, and years after her death, he was a devoted, faithful man of the Catholic faith. He dedicated years of perpetual adoration at St. Ann’s Church in Grants Pass. He lived his life within the realm of God’s love. Fr. Ildephonce Mapara was a close friend and support to him throughout his later life.

His work as a plumber design draftsman was exciting to us, as he would often share with us his many projects, such as the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Research Station, Seattle Mariners’ T-Mobile Park, NASA Ames Research Center extension in Silicon Valley, and MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas, to name a few.  We learned a bit of his trade… symbols for toilets and sinks.

During retirement, he enjoyed the riches of his five-acre home in Grants Pass where he worked on improvements and built his Taj Mahal gazebo for his wife. He loved designing his own projects and volunteering on projects for St. Ann’s Church and School.

He made many friends and enjoyed their visits and walks throughout the years. It was Bernie Wilson who became his closest and dearest, a like fellow in the plumbing designed business. He found comradery and dearly missed Bernie after his death.

Growing up as children, we remember him singing and whistling to all sorts of genre to lighten up our spirits. We remember the tickle games, the backrubs at night and his imaginative story telling. We will miss his kindred spirit.  Rest in peace dad.    

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