John David Rathbun

October 27, 1940 - November 27, 2020

John David Rathbun, Jr. died on November 27th, 2020 in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He was 80 years old. His kind and generous life impacted everyone he met. He truly never met a person he did not like. Johnny was born on October 27, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois, to John David Rathbun, Sr. and Viva Pickett Rathbun. He grew up in Wisconsin in the Bear Lake area and later moved to Dallas, Wisconsin. He graduated from Barron High School in Wisconsin. Johnny was very good with machinery and spent much of his working life as a mining equipment operator and later in the oil fields in jobs that took him to Italy, Japan, Russia, Argentina, Hawaii, California, Texas, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. He was a big outdoorsman and he loved to hunt and fish with friends and family and especially his grandchildren. He really looked forward each year to spending the week of Thanksgiving at "Deer Camp" in Wisconsin with his family and grandkids. He also was a big supporter of the BoyScouts and enjoyed his time as the Scoutmaster when he lived in Elk City, Oklahoma. He received the Vigil Honor for Order of the Arrow. He was very proud of his son John becoming an Eagle Scout and later his grandson William (who he helped build his Eagle Scout project). Johnny's job took his family to Florence, Italy in the 1970s. This was an amazing adventure for the family with many great memories.While in Florence, he supervised the operations of a tunnel boring machine for a railway between Florence and Rome. Johnny and Alyce met many lifelong friends during their time in Florence. He was a huge Green Bay Packer fan and will be pulling for the Pack from heaven. He was a fixture at the Tulsa Packer Backer watch parties. He was also a devoted Oklahoma Sooner fan, since both of his boys attended school there, as well as three grandchildren. He married Alyce Mouat Rathbun on May 25th, 1968 and they were happily married for 52 years. Johnny took enormous pride in his children, his daughters Rhonda Thompson (Monte) of Chetek, Wisconsin, Rita Thisius (Dan) of Wells, Minnesota, son John Rathbun, III, (Amy) of Crandall, Texas, and stepson Steve Soule'(Dede)of Tulsa. He loved to spend time with his grandkids and they adored him. Grandchildren, Joseph Thompson(Melissa), Jordon Thompson(Megan), Monte Thompson(Heather), Dylan Thisius (Kristeena), Brady Thisius (Lorraine), Linsey Thisius, Levi Thisius, William Soule', Katherine Soule', Lauren Rathbun and Harley Williams. Great-grandchildren Aidan, Owen, Arianna, Jeremiah, Quintin, Jonessa and Abraham Thompson and Ellis Thisius. Johnny was preceded in death by his parents, brother Danny Rathbun, sister Nancy Manke and grandson Justin Thompson. He is survived by his sisters Lynn (Larry) Gilbertson and Sally(Will) Ball-Norris. Due to Covid, Johnny's service will be family only. However, a celebration of his life is being planed for Spring or Summer of 2021 in Wisconsin.