John O. Lyngstad Jr., 90
John O. Lyngstad Jr., 90, passed away in his sleep, early Saturday, July 23, 2011, in Phoenix, Ariz., after a brief illness. John was born April 6, 1921, in Bismarck, N.D., to John O. and Emma L. Lyngstad. He was the second of four children, and was raised in Bismarck, graduating from Bismarck High School.
John attended the North Dakota State School of Forestry in Bottineau and the University of Idaho, graduating with a degree in forestry. His education was interrupted by service in the U.S. Army Air Force from 1943 to 1946, where he was a radio repair mechanic, working on B-17 and C-47's.
After graduation, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service in North Idaho and was stationed in Avery. He met Ireta G. Anderson in St. Maries, and they were married in her hometown of Wilbur, Wash., Dec. 17, 1950. Desiring a change to private industry, John left the U.S. Forest Service, and he and Ireta moved to Coeur d'Alene, where he was a forester and timber agent for The Pack River Company, retiring in 1983.
Moving to Phoenix for the warm weather and sun, John and Ireta resided there until their deaths. After her health failed, John cared for Ireta in their home at the Terraces of Phoenix for many years.
John is survived by his son, John Roger of Kansas City, Mo.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ireta, in 2005, as well as his parents, and siblings Doris Tillotson, Robert G. Lyngstad and Edna Moses.
John was a member of The First Presbyterian Church in Coeur d'Alene, the Elks Club, Masonic Lodge and Calam Shrine Temple. He enjoyed music and sang in the church choir and played trumpet in the Elk's and Shrine bands. An avid bridge player, he and Ireta played cards almost every weekend with their many friends.
The family would like to thank the staff at the Terraces of Phoenix for their care and compassion the last several years, as well as the staff and nurses at John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital for their care during John's last days.
John and Ireta's wishes were for cremation, with internment at Valley of the Sun Cemetery in Chandler, Ariz.