October 19, 1971 - August 21, 2019
John Paten Cleary Obituary Our beloved husband, father, son and brother died at home in Spokane, WA on Aug 21, 2019, after a nearly 2.5-year fight against metastatic Esophageal Cancer, and we miss him already. John was born on October 19, 1971 to Jack and Gayle Cleary in Hinsdale, IL, the youngest of 4 children. The family moved to Villa Park, CA when John was just a year old. He attended St. John�s Lutheran School in Orange, CA through 8th grade. He earned his Eagle Scout rank in 1989, and graduated from Villa Park High School in 1990. John started swimming at a very young age so he could keep up with his siblings, and he never stopped. He swam and played water polo at the University of California at Santa Barbara, graduating in 1994. It was there that he met the love of his life Kimberly while studying at a coffee shop the summer before their senior year. John worked in the environmental consulting industry in Orange County, CA after college. He and Kimberly were married on March 28, 1998. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Pocatello, ID, where their first two children were born, and where John earned a second undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering, and a Master�s in Environmental Engineering. Shortly thereafter, he passed the rigorous exams to become a registered Professional Engineer (Civil). The family moved to Spokane, WA in 2006, where their last two children were born. After many years working at The Reynolds Group in CA, John started working at the Washington State Department of Ecology in 2007, and loved to see people�s reaction when he said, �I work with garbage,� since he oversaw most of the state�s solid waste disposal. He took great pride in his passion for composting and supporting that relatively new industry�s growth within the state. He also loved the opportunity to mentor engineering students as an adjunct instructor at Gonzaga University. John served the Spokane community for a decade through his leadership roles with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). He grew the Hutton Cub Scout Pack 353 into a flourishing, well-respected Pack, and was recognized as Cub Master of the Year in 2017 & 2019. As his boys got older, he also served as an assistant leader for the Hamblen Park Presbyterian Church Boy Scout Troop 313. Over the years John helped many scouts earn merit badges in swimming and environmental science, and taught boys and their families to love camping. He also volunteered at the BSA council level to help with membership and recruitment. John was an anchor of the local swimming community, logging many yards in his beloved Spokane Athletic Club pool, and helping others improve their technique any time they asked. John was kind, patient, honest, humble, and generous � and an all-around glass-half-full person. He loved swimming, surfing, sailing, windsurfing, white water kayaking, and was always up for an adventure. He loved the outdoors, dogs, his friends, and Scouting. He cherished his role as a husband and a father, and quietly set an incredible example for other men to follow. John is survived by Kimberly, his wife of 21 years, and their beautiful children Grant (18), Drew (15), Violet (12) and Walker (9), and their sweet dog Bodi; his father Jack (Judy) Cleary (Orange, CA); brother Paul (Tori) Cleary (Laguna Niguel, CA) and their children Brett & Shannon; sister Melissa (Dave) Reisman (Gulf Breeze, FL) and their children Nicole & Kyle; sister Noelle (Mick) Cornish (Orange, Australia) and their son Jack; mother-in-law Stephanie Klein (Spokane, WA) and sister-in-law Allison Klein (San Francisco, CA). He is also survived by his Godparents Aunt Bunny & Uncle Alan Burleson (Cape Cod, MA), Aunt Denyse Fordham (Marietta, OH), cousins Stacey Kiehl, Amy Burleson, Doug Burleson, Tamara Mitchell, and Will Cusack; and his goddaughter Sloane Leary Stewart. He was preceded in death by his beloved mother Gayle and so many of the family dogs he loved over the years. We are grateful to everyone at Cancer Care Northwest for their devoted care since March 2017, and Hospice of Spokane for their faithful service over John�s final weeks and days. We are thankful for so many Ecology colleagues who generously donated leave hours to John over the past couple of years. We also wish to thank our wonderful community of friends and neighbors who have supported us at every turn. Donations to support his family can be made to the John Cleary Memorial Fund at any STCU branch or by mail to STCU Headquarters at 1620 N. Signal Drive, Liberty Lake, WA 99019. A celebration of John�s life will be held in the coming weeks. We hope you can join us to share your favorite memory of him. � To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of John, please visit our Tree Store. Read more Events AUG 21
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