John Paul McCann, 88, of Yountville, Calif., passed away of natural causes on Saturday Dec. 27, 2014.
Paul was born in Burlington, Iowa on April 16, 1926 to Charles Wesley and Ida Morris Mays McCann. He grew up in Silverhill, where he met and later married, Marjorie Evelyn Rundquist, the mother of his five boys.
He entered active duty with the U.S. Navy in July of 1944 and trained as a fighter pilot in preparation for the invasion of Japan. The atomic bombs cut the war short and Paul served in the reserves, flying an F8F Bearcat and other planes out of Naval Air Station Alameda until February of 1950. The very Bearcat he flew, No. 106, is preserved and continues to be flown by the Historic Flight Foundation in Mukilteo, Wash.
He settled in the Sacramento area and worked in the insurance and sales business for many years.
He volunteered with the Boy Scouts and Little League, had a knack for organizing golf games and enjoyed going to air shows and baseball games. He was a fan of gospel music and the Oakland Athletics.
He enjoyed everything about aviation and loved having an audience for telling stories from his flying days. Some can be viewed at http://youtube.com/warbirdvideos.
Brothers, Charles and David; and sister, Esther; preceded him in death.
He is survived by companion, Marilyn Schroeder of Hayward; sons, Gary (Marne) of Sacramento, Steve (Myra) of Fairfield, Patrick (Florence) of Norman, Okla., Michael (Shannon) of Salinas and Brian (Lorie) of Antelope; 13 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Services will be held at the Veterans Home Memorial Chapel in Yountville at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015.
Inurnment will be at the Veterans Memorial Grove Cemetery at the Veterans Home of California — Yountville.
Arrangements by Oak Park Hills Chapel.
