In Memory of John D. Cannon

John Denny Cannon was born on Piety Hill in Mitchell, Oregon. He grew up on his parents’ ranch, nine miles outside of Mitchell, with his four sisters Cora Marian, Virginia Lee, Elsie Mae, and Dorothy Ellen. John often shared memories of his mom baking applesauce cake on the woodstove, helping his Dad herd sheep, and fishing trips in the Ochocos with his grandfather and uncles.

After graduating from Mitchell High School in 1937, John did some postgraduate study at Salem High School. The family then moved to Monmouth so that he and his sister Marian could attend the Oregon College of Education. They took classes year-round, and as a result he had graduated before he went into the service.

John’s military career started when he joined the army – Company B, of the 162nd Infantry, 41st Division in Salem, Oregon. His two main reasons for joining the service were the dollar-per-drill salary, and that he would receive free admission to the professional wrestling matches held on Tuesday nights. On September 16, 1940, he was called up for one year of active duty, which ended five and a half years later. During his tour of duty, John traveled down the coast of South America, through the South Pacific, to Australia, New Zealand, and spent a lot of time in New Guinea. By the time of his retirement from the service, he had reached the rank of Major.

Life really got exciting after John returned from the war. Aloha Powell caught his eye at a dance at the Crystal Gardens. John courted Aloha through the summer and in the fall of 1946 he enrolled at the University of Oregon. He proposed to Aloha at a football game on the campus. They were married in Vancouver, Washington on June 11, 1947, right after John completed his Bachelor of Science. The new couple had a short honeymoon at the coast, and when they returned he started work on his Master of Education during the summer session at Oregon State University.

John was teaching at Detroit High School in the spring of 1949. His first daughter, Carolyn Marlane Cannon (“Tootsie”), arrived that March. He taught social studies, business, physical education, and health at the high school, while he learned the ins and outs of fatherhood at home. John was promoted to principal before he was promoted to father of two. Neva Gae Cannon (“Sister”) joined the family in May of 1951. During the following years, John worked in Stayton as the superintendent-principal. In this role, he organized the construction of the new Stayton Elementary School, while building the first Cannon family home on West Ida Street. Toots and Sis were five and three when the family moved to Fort Benning, Georgia, so that John could attend the Advanced Infantry Officers’ School. John’s Georgia Peach, Julie Malea Cannon, was born in the military hospital at Fort Benning, in 1955.

The Cannons drove across the country the following February, their sights set on home. Upon their return to Oregon, John wrapped up work at OSU and was awarded his Master of Education degree. He accepted a position as the principal at Maplewood Elementary School, a country school in southwest Portland. During his second year at Maplewood, the school was annexed into the Portland Public School District, and John went along, too.

John was a true believer in the value of education. He took courses throughout his life, from schools including the Oregon College of Education, Oregon State University, the University of Berkeley, the University of Oregon, and Willamette University. He went on to serve for 22 years in the Portland Public School system, working at Applegate, Arleta, Collins View, Kenton, and Maplewood elementary schools. John retired from education in 1976.

Retirement was a busy and happy time for John. He pursued a secondary career in real estate and land development, and devoted serious time to his life-long love of gardening—all the while keeping Aloha amused. John and Aloha traveled extensively, visiting Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Spain, and Hawaii. The couple also made many trips to Mexico. John remarked that their last trip was the best. John, Aloha, Tootsie, and Mike Browning (his son-in-law) toured the Inside Passage of Alaska in the summer of 2002. With the trip to Alaska, John had visited every state in the union.

Retirement also brought John grandchildren. His first granddaughter, Rebecca Browning, was born in 1978. Krisi Clausen came shortly after in 1979, followed by Niki Clausen in 1981. His fourth granddaughter, Sally Browning, arrived in 1982. John’s first and only grandson, Sam Viles, was born in 1986. Sam’s sister Elizabeth Viles joined the group in 1988. Last, but never least, Mollie Mae Viles came on the scene in 1995. John’s natural story-telling and pancake-flipping skills helped him to excel as a grandpa. He was one of the best grandparents around.