Just prior to sunset, on the beautiful spring evening of May 25 ^th , 2021, John Irvin Kulp Jr, who was the first child born to John Irvin Kulp and Mildred May Hartman, left his earthly body whereupon he rejoined his beloved Vera and entered the presence of his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. John took his first breaths in Reading, Pennsylvania on the 15 ^th of December, 1933, and very little about John's life would be typical throughout his 87 + years on earth. As the oldest child, he experienced the impact of the challenges very young families face and during the Great Depression those challenges were multiplied. At an early age, John decided that when he could, he would live his life differently.

John played and loved the game of football and could sprint like the wind, but nothing prepared him fully for the best set of starting blocks he would ever place his feet into. After graduation from high school, John set his sights high and enlisted in the brand new United States Air Force. Somewhat to his frustration, they put him on a ship…and on December 14 ^th , 1951, the day before his 18 ^th birthday, he set sail for the United Kingdom and his assignment as a motor pool mechanic at Bushy Park.

Being new to the UK, John would walk, bus, or run, to the nearby (2 miles) town of Kingston upon Thames, to watch movies at the Odeon. We never really learned what movie he watched over and over, but we do know that he bought a lot of popcorn from a beautiful, young, English rose named Vera.

Vera was under strict orders from her parents to stay away from those Yanks, but Johnny's charm put that on the shelf for her and her family…especially when he showed up to give her Mum a turkey too big for their oven. They were married in the Methodist Church in New Malden on June 20 ^th , 1953, less than 3 weeks after Queen Elizabeth was crowned just a few miles away. Lyn, their first of 3 daughters, was born a year later in the UK. John transferred into the aviation maintenance field and got to work on airplanes, which was why he had joined the Air Force originally, which led to assignments in upstate New York, where their 2 ^nd daughter Debi was born and then back to England where their daughter Suzan was born.

After a year in Viet Nam, he returned to McChord AFB in Tacoma for his next assignment. Five years later, he bought a house on E 46 ^th St, 2 blocks from the Hope Chapel, which formed a central part of their family life. Many of the girls' friends wanted to come to their home, where John and Vera created a cozy shelter from the storms of life. They spent their time camping and hiking and walking the beaches of Washington State Parks, and even camped in the snow!

In 2004 they moved into a house next to their youngest daughter where John and Vera enjoyed a country retirement in the Samish flats of Bow, WA, with room to garden, walk and peacefully exist. John spent many hours helping his son-in-law Mark build the two houses that would become home.

In December of 2018, John and Vera returned to England for a Christmas vacation with their daughter Suzan and husband Mark and their granddaughter Annalyse and her husband Lanz. They had a brief, last stroll together in Kingston upon Thames, next to the Bushy Park wall, before an infection spread to John's brain causing the onset of dementia. After a hurried flight back to Seattle, John would live out his days in the home of his daughter in Bow. He was brave to the very end and drew heavily on the Author of Life. A special thanks goes to all the nurses and doctors of Hospice NW and especially to Marion for her gentle care for John over the last 2 months.

John was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Larry and his wife Vera. He is survived by his daughters Lyn (Rod), Debi(Lee) and Suzan(Mark); 10 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Donations in his name may be made to Hospice of the NW.