John Paul Chaffee was born on July 28, 1942, in San Bernardino, California to Austin and Virginia Chaffee. He passed away at age 84 on September 19, 2026 in Norman, Oklahoma.

As a boy, he lived in what he called the last of the old west, exploring the countryside with his older brother, Ray. Together, they fished, skipped rocks, shot their 22s, and occasionally, when the river wasn’t running too fast, skinny dipped. To his family, he was always Johnny.

John loved baseball. He was a valued member of his high school team, and later played men’s softball for a number of years. He earned the name “Big John” because of his ability to consistently knock the ball out of the park.

John was a gifted fisherman as well. He grew up fishing for trout in rivers and streams. He was so skillful with a fly rod he could pull fish out of places where other fisherman would swear there were no fish. He’d fish from shore or wade out in his Levi’s, Pendleton shirt and white Converse tennis shoes, catch his limit, then take them home to fry up for dinner with potatoes and onions.

On September 14th, 1963, John married the love of his life, Linda, and to their union were born three daughters, Brenda, Pam and Jenny. He was a perfect girl dad. The family all enjoyed the mountains, camping, hiking and fishing together. John and Linda were soulmates and best friends throughout their 63 years of marriage.

John’s career with Southern California Edison began in 1963 as a Carpenter’s Helper and ended almost 30 years later when he retired as Supervisor of Land Mapping.

Perhaps John’s greatest gift was his discernment and sympathetic nature. He always saw the goodness in people and valued everyone, no matter their role. He looked for opportunities to give a word of encouragement, a hearty handshake, a hug or a meal.

John learned to love the Lord early in life. He spent his life trying to live out the lessons he learned from the Bible, especially loving people and serving them. He was a man of prayer and Bible study, pondering what he read and continuing to learn as his faith grew even in these later years. He spoke to the Lord with a humble respect and intimacy, seeking him in all things. He loved his family and church family and served them as he served God his whole life. He was baptized in his teens and was a faithful member of the Church of Christ his whole life, serving as an elder in four congregations, most recently at the Alameda Church of Christ in Norman, OK.

Time with family was one of the highlights of John’s life. He was most happy when surrounded by his wife and family. He considered them one of his greatest blessings.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Austin and Virginia Chaffee, and his oldest daughter, Brenda Gomez. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 63 years, Linda Chaffee; daughters Pam (Kevin) Davis and Jenny (Brian) Jones; son-in-law Vince Gomez; brother Ray; sisters-in-law Carolyn Chaffee and Barbie (Joe) Hammar; grandchildren, Tom (Amy) Davis, Annie Davis, Emily (Cordell) Houtchens, Zach Jones; great grandchildren Zane and Aria Davis and Haven and Heidi Houtchens, along with many cousins, nephews and nieces and dear friends. He will be sorely missed, but his impact will live on in their lives as they strive to live like he did.

The celebration of life will be on Monday, September 28th, 2026 at 2:00pm at Alameda Church of Christ. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to Orphans Lifeline International at P.O. Box 1100, Kalispell MT 59903, a cause that he was passionate about