Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.
John William Hix, Sr. of Oregon City passed away suddenly at age 90 of heart failure. He was born in Dufur, Ore., to the late Johnny and Gladys (Swank) Hix, (long-time Wasco County pioneer family) and grew up on the family wheat farm on Tygh Ridge near Kingsley.
He graduated from Dufur HS in 1946 and OSC in 1951 with a BS in Agriculture. He enrolled in the ROTC program and became a 1st Lieutenant in the US Army stationed at Fort Monmouth, N.J. and Camp San Louis Obispo, Calif.
In 1951, he married Betty Johnson of The Dalles, Ore. Together they had 3 children and lived in the Lake Oswego and West Linn area for many years. Though, later divorced, they remained close friends.
In 1977 he married Dolores Harlon and divorced.
John was employed as a truck driver and diesel mechanic and, over the years, worked for various companies in the Portland area including K-Lines, Silver Eagle and Delta.
John was a member of Tri-City Baptist Church where he served his faith by maintaining and driving the Sunday School buses for nearly 40 years.
To those who knew him, John was a quiet man of faith. He was caring and respectful of others and was always there to offer support. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends and freely shared his vast mechanical knowledge to assist them with their cars. He also had a passion for flying and could often be found at or around a local airport.
John was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Kenneth Thomas and Ernest James and son John William Hix, Jr.
He is survived by daughters Karen Hix of Beaverton and Katharine Hix of Sherwood; grandchildren Robert Greer (Kim) of Lafayette, Aubrey Reed of Sherwood and Jamie (William) Fellman of Wasilla, Alaska; 8 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren; mother of his children, Betty Hix of Tigard; closest friend, Kathryn Burns of Gladstone.
A memorial will be held at Tri-City Baptist Church in Gladstone on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the American Heart Association or Tri-City Baptist Church.
