OBITUARY: John Harry Raetz

John Harry Raetz

John Harry Raetz died October 4, 2022, at the age of 88 in Mesquite, Nevada. He was born in Yuba City, California, April 18, 1934, to Emil Harry Raetz, Sr. and Rose Mary Allen Nunes.

For the last eight years he had been living off the grid in Wasilla, Alaska, and loved fishing, hunting, and hanging with his friends at The Tug, where he was known as “Grandpa,” “Old Man,” “Castle John,” or “Knik Cowboy.” He recently moved to Overton, Nevada, to be closer to his children in the lower forty-eight.

He worked in a bakery during high school; served three years in the Marines during the Korean War; workedfor the Bell Telephone Company in Las Vegas; spent several years as a farmer/rancher and construction worker in Pahrump, NV with his firstwife, Patricia Murray and eight children. During that time he was also active in 4-H, a brand inspector, and served on the State Board of Agriculture.

After thirty years in Pahrump, he continued ranching when he moved to Beryl, Utah. After the death of his second wife, Lenore, he headed north to Alaska and enjoyed his wild life there for the last several years.

John is survived by 11 children: Cynthia (Matt) Nelson, Marie Becht, Marjorie (Eduardo) Gonzalez, Sharon Pineda, Andrew (Heather) Raetz, Dean (Sabrina) Raetz, Sara (Timothy) Day, Frank (Carmen) Raetz, Leann (Robert) Hudley, Richard Schneider, and Laurie (George) Letourneau; two sisters and three brothers: Cecil Raetz, Ronald (Patricia) Raetz, Stephen (Jackie) Raetz, Barbara (Robert) Wilson, and Patricia (Richard) Rose; and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his second wife: Lenore Anita (Sayers); his parents, and two brothers: Leroy Raetz and Emil Harry Raetz, Jr.

An Alaska memorial potluck and story telling was held at the Tug October 15, 2022

In Las Vegas, Nevada, the family invites you to a celebration of life to honor and remember our dynamic, big-talking, fun-loving, jack-of-all-trades. Please plan to stay and share your “Johnisms” while all enjoying dinner together. The memorial is scheduled for Friday, October 21, 2022, 4 PM, at the American Legion Post 8, 733 Veterans Memorial Drive, followed by dinner for all friends and family.

In lieu of flowers, donate to The Last Frontier Honor Flight in the name of John Raetz. https://www.lastfrontierhonorflight.com/donate or PO Box 875021, Wasilla, AK 99687. This group flies veterans to see the DC monuments from which John benefitted this last April.

If you would like to send a note to the Raetz family, please mail to: Cynthia Nelson, PO Box 944, Overton, NV 89040.