He graduated as valedictorian from Evanston Township (Ill.) High School. At Princeton he majored in the Woodrow Wilson School, writing his senior thesis on “The Eisenhower Administration and Conservation Policy.” He joined Quadrangle Club and was secretary of the Student Christian Association.

He served two years in the Army in Heilbronn, Germany, where he was stationed with classmates John Wells and Ed Breisacher.

He earned an MBA at Stanford along with classmates Lyn Gillis, Gib Saydah, and Homer Smith. He then pursued a career in human resources at Clorox, Shell Oil Research, and technology-based companies, and served as a management consultant from 1984. He led a job-networking group for human-resource executives that helped many to find new positions.

John was a member of the Lafayette (Calif.) Parks, Trails, and Recreation Commission for many years; coached his children’s softball and soccer teams; was a docent on FDR’s restored presidential yacht, the USS Potomac; and was active in fundraising for Stanford, Princeton, and his church. He and his wife, Marilyn Claire Sicotte, and their children enjoyed California’s rich recreational resources — skiing, swimming, hiking, and backpacking.

John is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marilyn; their three children, Marguerite, Kathleen, and Bryan; and four grandchildren.