John M. Truog ’65

John died March 26, 2024, in Seattle.

He grew up in Southern California, in the towns of La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe. He came to Princeton after attending the Thacher School in Ojai, Calif., where he played on the tennis and basketball teams.

At Princeton, John majored in English and wrote his senior thesis on “Archetypal Relationships of Motherhood in Greek and Modern Drama.” He joined Campus Club but found that the Prospect Street scene and club atmosphere were not what he was looking for in his Princeton social life, so he decided to go independent. Junior and senior years John lived in Little Hall, just a few steps from the main entrance to Dillon Gym. That gave him ready access to the building where Princeton’s Bradley-led basketball glory days were being played out before the eyes of all ’65ers. John rarely missed a game at Dillon.

After graduating from Princeton, he served in the Coast Guard Reserve in San Diego. In 1976, John moved with his wife and two children to Seattle. He became an established art dealer in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood, where he shared treasures he found throughout his travels. His varied collections included Japanese woodblock prints, Edward Curtis photogravures, and delicate, hand-painted antique boxes.

John is survived by his two children, Michael John Truog and Laura Truog Fierce; grandchildren Vinh Le-Truog and Hanh Le-Truog; and by ex-spouses Judith Platt and Darlene Albright.