This past weekend past member of our chapter John Bush passed away.  He was in the Landmark area doing some trail clearing with Joe Williams.  When they got back in camp, John mentioned to Joe that he was feeling very tired and needed to sit down.  Joe said that John appeared to fall asleep and shortly after stopped breathing and died.  John and Jackie were members of our chapter in the early 2000’s.  This is Jackie’s contact information:  Jackie Bush, 6700 Sage Canyon Way, Star, ID  83669

Star, Idaho – John Michael Bush, 69 years old, of Star, Idaho, passed away on October 15, 2022 in the mountains of the Idaho wilderness that he loved.

Mass of Christian burial will be Saturday, October 29, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Benedict Church in Atchison, Kansas, with Fr. Jeremy Heppler, OSB as celebrant. Interment will follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be Friday, Oct. 28, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home.

John was born on December 23, 1952, in Atchison, Kansas, the son of Francis Miller Bush and Mary Elizabeth (Langan) Bush. He graduated from Maur Hill Prep and then the University of Kansas with his B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He remained an avid Jayhawk his entire life. Following graduation, he departed Kansas for Texas and began his long career in semiconductor design working with leading companies in the burgeoning electronics and computer industries. Though his path never led back for more than visits, John was always a steadfast Kansan and son of Atchison.

He and Mary Louise (Jackie) Bush were united in marriage on April 18, 1981, in Leon Springs, Texas.

John was endlessly curious and always testing or investigating new thoughts. Throughout life, he pursued serious interests in photography, horsemanship, outdoorsmanship, woodworking, gardening, skiing, and snorkeling. He had a flair for repairing machinery and electronics, as well as building and renovation, and never failed to share his talents with those around him. John was also a member and past president of the Backcountry Horsemen of Idaho where he led members on trips deep into the mountains and maintained trails used by all entering the backcountry.

He is preceded in death by his parents and siblings, James “Jim” Bush, Robert “Bob” Bush, Charles “Charlie” Bush, Thomas “Tom” Bush and Dorothy Bush.

John is survived by his wife, Mary Bush, of Star, ID; a daughter, Kathryn L. “Katie” and her spouse, Travis Field, of Seattle, WA; a son, James C. and his spouse, Caitlin Bush, of Olympia, WA; his grandson, Samuel M. Bush; four sisters, Elizabeth Adams, Virginia Lefler, Barbara Bush, Mary Lou Weatherford; and one brother, Richard Bush.

John’s Wife Jackie

Pictures provided by Ellen Knapp