John Halverson, 83

John Charles Halverson passed away peacefully Dec. 22, 2022.

John is survived by his loving wife, Irene Halverson; his two sons, John and Stacey Halverson; and his stepchildren, Monique Tews and Glenn Zetz.

John was born July 11, 1939, in Torrance Calif. He was married to his beloved Irene for 46 years. She describes John as her best friend. He had a long career as an engineer at IBM for 35 years. He and Irene lived in San Jose and raised their families.

One of their crowning achievements was riding their bikes cross country when Irene turned 50. After retirement, they moved to Southern California, where they took on a second career working for their son’s new business.

John was known as “Opa” by his grandchildren. He will be remembered by them as the one who taught them how to ride a bike, fix anything and make the best oatmeal cookies. After their second and final retirement, they moved to Coeur d’Alene. There they fell in love with all the things the area offered — hiking, biking, walking, kayaking and camping. John defied gravity. In his later years you could find John several days a week with his best friend, Ken, atop Schweitzer Mountain, where he would enjoy a rigorous day of skiing and a well-deserved beer afterward.

John was a faithful man who loved the Lord and served several church communities. John and Irene found great joy serving the poor at their local homeless shelter and food bank where they not only fed those with food insecurity but also spent time mentoring and bringing others to the Lord. John will be remembered for his fierce love and loyalty to his friends and family and his unending and unconditional desire to be of help to anyone in need.

Memorial service for John will be held Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church at 1700 E. Pennsylvania Ave,, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814. Arrangements are provided by Yates Funeral Home. Online registry and condolences may be found at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.