John was born and raised in San Antonio. He was a member of the Harlandale Baptist Church as a young boy where his spiritual faith began. He was a graduate of Harlandale High School, a member of the band, and in the Order of DeMolay. John was a Volunteer Firefighter in Castle Hills. He attended The University of Texas at Austin where he received a BBA degree in accounting and was a member of the Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity.
After graduating from college, John followed his passion for photography and opened a camera store in Arlington, Texas. He met his wife of 51+ years, Carol Smith Thurman on a blind date.
When an opportunity with Kodak presented itself to sell the store and go with the biggest photographic company out there, he seized the chance. His assignment with Kodak was Louisville, Kentucky. The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky granted John the honor of Kentucky Colonel for his Kodak participation with the Kentucky Derby. While in Kentucky, John became a Mason.
He had 25 years with Kodak traveling all over the country teaching his customers the art of selling, customer relationships, winning many awards such as Kodak’s National Sales and Marketing Award 5 times. John helped improve relationships between Disney World and Kodak’s involvement in Walt Disney’s theme parks worldwide. Locally, John was awarded the Partnership award from HEB for his outstanding service.
In San Antonio, John orchestrated the initiative that took Rotary Civic Club of San Antonio from simply being a large club to being the largest Rotary club in the world. The initiative resulted in the club holding the first Rotary International Convention in San Antonio, the largest convention ever held in the city up until that point in time. He then became the Founder and Charter President of the Dominion Rotary Club of San Antonio.
After retiring from Kodak, he formed Heart of Texas Realty in 1999 where he was honored as the Platinum Top 50 Realtor in San Antonio for ten consecutive years and helped countless families find and sell their homes. He mentored many and was endeared by the San Antonio Real Estate Community.
Having called on the military in 5 states with Kodak, his passion continued to improve relationships between the branches of the military and the San Antonio Military and Economic Affairs departments. John is an Emeritus Honorary Commander of the 37th Training Wing of the United States Air Force.
• Founder of the hospitality night for the families of USAF Training Graduates
• Member of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce for Military Affairs and Cyber IT Committees
• Honoree in the United States Air Force War College National Security Forum
• Member, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Citizens’ Academy Alumni Association
• Member, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Citizens’ Academy Alumni Association
Never being shy or for a loss for words, John created and hosted five radio shows on the Salem Network Station. The most noted one was Movers and Shakers where he and Bjorn Dybdahl interviewed over 500 of San Antonio’s top executives.
He leaves behind many friends of all ages, joyfully accrued from living a long, rich life in San Antonio. The family especially wishes to thank the wonderful staff at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital for their kindness and care.
John will be cremated and his ashes scattered on his beloved Lake LBJ where he spent his childhood and adulthood years water skiing and entertaining family and friends. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, remembrances be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and to the Shriner’s Children Hospital.
