John C Bushell

The comfort of having a friend may be taken away, but not that of having had one.

Obituary

John Charles Bushell, 75, of North Ogden, Utah, passed away on September 24, 2026, surrounded by his family.
Born December 2, 1950, in Ogden, Utah, John grew up participating in sports. He played in little league basketball and baseball and for South Jr. High and Bonneville High School. As an adult, he loved attending a good baseball game whenever he could. 
He also loved working on cars and could often be found in the garage fixing one car or another. While in high school he bought and restored a 1950 Chevrolet.
After high school John joined the United States Marines and served during the Vietnam War. Upon returning, he earned a degree in Accounting from Weber State University in 1982 and became a CPA. He worked for the IRS and the Department of Defense as an auditor for many years. He met the love of his life, Jolene, when they were both employed at the IRS. They were married on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1983, in San Francisco. They had a close-knit group of friends with whom they traveled and shared many great memories. 
John never had his own kids, and yet his stepson Robb and daughter-in-law Kim became the children he never had. He loved and adored his grandchildren dearly and cherished the time spent with them as they grew up and into adulthood. We regret that he will never meet his first great grandchild due in February.
John was a master landscaper and gardener. His gardens were the envy of all who visited. Many people enjoyed the fruit of his apple and peach trees, and his corn, tomatoes and other vegetables from his garden. Family and friends always cherished the salsa that was made entirely from the fruits of his labor. He also tried his hand at winemaking and made some delicious wines he loved to share.
After retiring at the age of 47, he took pride in being the treasurer on two different HOA boards. He always loved working with numbers and having a chance to make new friends.
In his later years his health challenges led him to be more sedentary and that's when he discovered "the Facebook". He made many good friends online, where they would share their views, joke about politics, and bond over their love for beer. John was passionate about politics and saving our democracy and was not afraid to speak out about it.

He is survived by his wife of 43 yrs, Jolene Jessop Bushell, stepson Robb VanZweden (Kim), sisters Bonnie Jennings (Dean) and Vicki Castle (Ken), and his 3 grandchildren, Kyle VanZweden (Marissa), Hailey VanZweden (Alex) and Skylar VanZweden (Brendan). He was preceded in death by his parents Stanley and Marion Bushell, and his brother Randy Bushell, his Mother and Father-in-law George and Phyllis Jessop and Sister-in-law Nannette Coonrod.

John will be missed dearly by all who loved him. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.

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