John Szkodyn

John Szkodyn passed away in Longview on January 7, 2025 after a brief hospitalization due to a fall. John was born February 3, 1933 in Zhupany Ukraine. His family spent World War II in Germany, first in a work camp and then in a displaced persons camp. They immigrated to the United States in 1950, ultimately settling in Chicago. John joined the Army and while stationed at Fort Lewis, met Carolyn Alston on a blind date. They moved to Chicago and married in 1955. John was preceded in death by Carolyn, his wife of 67 years.

They started a family in Chicago but returned to Longview in 1964. They built a house in Kelso where they lived for nearly sixty years. They had five

daughters-Virginia (Rich) Mahoney of Longview WA, Brenda (Gary) Smithers of Edmonds WA, Becky (Steve) Mounce of Longview WA, Lisa (Paul) Jones of Rainier OR and Marci (Brian) McCoy of Kelso WA. John has nine grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

John owned and operated a Shell service station on the corner of Ocean Beach Highway and 15th Avenue for nearly 30 years. John earned a reputation as an honest businessman who provided customer service rarely seen anymore. He was a trusted mechanic but also developed friendships with his customers.

John loved taking care of his yard! He was proud of his roses and geraniums.

John was always ready to offer tips on gardening. In his garden, John grew everything from berries to corn to cucumbers. But John’s tomatoes were legendary and he was rightfully proud of them. Each fall, he would save seeds from his tomatoes which he would sprout in the spring to plant in his garden again!

John was a dedicated steelhead fisherman. He was well known on rivers in the local area. He fished the Toutle, Elochoman, Grays and Kalama Rivers over the years (making friends and swapping stories as he went). John’s smoked steelhead was a treat enjoyed by his family over the years.

John and Carolyn were avid hikers, logging thousands of miles on national park trails over the years. They especially enjoyed the parks in southern Utah and in Arizona. They made multiple hiking trips to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. They climbed Mt. St. Helens twice and hiked to Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier two times as well. John and Carolyn also traveled to Europe twice, took a cruise to Alaska and made two trips to Alaska in their motorhome. They loved traveling in their motorhome! Mt. Rainier National Park was a special place. John and Carolyn’s kids, grandkids and even great grandkids have carried on the legacy of spending time camping and hiking at Mt. Rainier.

Always a devout Catholic, John was a long standing member of St. Rose parish in Longview and St. Mary’s in Kelso before that. He was a member of Knights of Columbus since 1965.

A funeral mass will be held on January 24, 2025 at 11:00 am at St. Rose Church in Longview. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for a donation to St. Vincent de Paul PO Box 2957 Longview WA 98632.