Obituary of John A. Vitzthum

John Vitzthum, as a result of a recent illness, John Vitzthum passed away on 12/10/10 at the age of 79. Born to Harry & Irene Vitzthum in 1931, John was raised in Saunemin IL, graduating H.S. in 1949. He then joined the Navy, serving during the Korean Conflict and assigned to the aircraft carrier, Princeton. In 1955 he married Dolores Wells of Tacoma, where the two set deep roots. A printer by trade, John worked for Boeing following his Naval enlistment; and then for United Pacific Ins. In the early 60s, John started a small print shop - J & D Printing - that he operated out of his garage. He moonlighted evenings until, in 1973, he seized the opportunity to launch J & D as a fully fledged business. John's work ethic was legendary and, until his recent illness, he made his way to the office daily. He was also an active member of Holy Disciples Catholic Church in Puyallup. First and foremost, John loved family. He could always find a reason to gather; and his BBQ'd chicken was a favorite. He was also an avid baseball fan. He loved his Mariners. In his mind, every year was to be "their year", so it was with great relish that he traveled yearly to AZ to watch them practice at Spring Training. John is survived by his devoted wife of 55 years, Dolores; children Rick (Andrea), Jim (Julie), Diane, David (Heather), Monica (Tim), Vic (Mary); 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild (with two on the way); siblings Jean Girardi, Claire Vitzthum, Bill Vitzthum, & Sue Rich. The family would like to express their gratitude to the nursing staffs at St. Joe's Dialysis/Puyallup, and Good Samaritan Hospital. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, December 16 at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Disciples Catholic Church in Puyallup, 10425 187th St. E, Puyallup. Please make donations to the Holy Disciples Parish builds fund.