John Dale Vance, age 81, from Gig Harbor, WA died May 19, 2022. John was born in Benton, KY. In 1960, he married the love of his life, Jan. They were 2 peas in a pod for just shy of 62 years. John enlisted in the Army in 1960 with his best friend, Tommy. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War where he served as a helicopter pilot. He enjoyed a 21 year career in the Army, retiring as a Lt. Colonel in 1981. John loved his country and was willing to give up his life to protect our freedom. He went on to have a second career as a financial advisor at UBS in Tacoma where he worked for 25+ years. John loved the Lord and had a deep faith that was with him to his last breath. John was a sailor and spent many years on board “Firefly” exploring the Salish Sea and beyond.
John is survived by his wife of 62 years, Jan, along with 2 grown children, John Jr. and Ann, and 4 grandchildren who were the apple of his eye (Gabrielle, Luc, Gianna, and Genevieve).
John will be laid to rest with full military honors at Tahoma National Cemetery on June 1, 2022 at 12:30 p.m. (18600 SE 240th St., Kent, WA 98042). There will be a memorial service immediately following (2:30 p.m.) at their community church, Chapel Hill (7700 Skansie Ave., Gig Harbor, WA 98335). In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Chapel Hill Church in support of outreach, missions, and evangelism.
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