John Michael St. John

John Michael St. John (“Mike”) was born January 14th, 1945 in Belleville IL. When his life took flight, the final days of WWII were playing out across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Born to a father, also named John, and his mother Viola St. John (Logan), Mike was second of a total of 6 kids born to the Illinois-based St. Johns.

His father was a creator, building his own model airplanes from blocks of balsa wood, even inventing a part for his employer. His mom was an eccentric, and creative homemaker who thought up fun things to do. From an early age Mike displayed an intense curiosity for all things known and unknown, and became more aware of his obligation to find out more.

Mike told of grabbing handfuls of dirt and running with dust trailing behind him to imitate the flight of a jet in the sky. He recalled building a crystal radio kit with his father and learning the names and places of constellations in the night sky with his brothers (Steve, Pat) and sisters (Diana, Lisa, Cindy). They took car trips, camped, fished, told stories, made memories, and explored their world as they laughed big-belly laughs.

Mike refined his understanding of the great cosmos from central Illinois. He was a good student, and an athlete that competed in basketball, baseball, and track at the local and state level. Mike attended Western Illinois University for three years and then completed his BS in General Studies at the University of South Carolina (1974). Later, he would earn his Masters in Interpersonal Communications at Inter American University in Bayamón, Puerto Rico (1983). While working and attending undergraduate school, he spent some of his spare time playing bass guitar in a band he helped start called The Acoustics.

Mike married his high school sweetheart Sherry LaVingon in 1967, and had a beautiful daughter Trista L. St. John in 1968. It was not long after his first marriage ended, that his draft eligibility brought him into the US Army, and he was one step closer to joining the Vietnam conflict. Thinking it better to hold the cyclic himself, Mike pushed to become an aviator and began rotary wing flight training before he departed for Vietnam. He completed flight training to eventually qualify to fly the twin-rotor Boeing CH-47 “Chinook” helicopter.

One day while on leave, he visited the white-powder sand beaches of Ft. Walton Beach, FL. and a svelte, red-headed lady caught his eye. He used a weird attention grabbing technique: he unfurled his notable, long tongue and demonstrated his ability to touch his nose. The target of the odd display, Margaret Nash, was amused and had a cousin who was seeking companionship. This led to a match between Ada A. Windham (“Amy”) and Mike St. John.

A fast courtship and proposal followed, which led some refined southerner to theorize that their attraction was a case of “hot pants.” On Dec. 5, 1970 Mike and Amy were married at the First United Methodist Church of Daleville, AL. In 2025 they would mark the 55th anniversary of disproving the “hot pants” theory.

Mike served combat aviation roles as a Chinook pilot in Vietnam (1971) with 1st Aviation Brigade (Freight Trains) Dong Ba Thin and 101st Aviation Brigade, Phu Bai . He was remembered by his fellow soldiers as a capable aviator, but equally important was his perpetual quest for laughter and finding beauty in the world. Even in a combat zone, he cultivated a garden, recorded audio messages for his wife, sang with his fellow soldiers each Sunday afternoon, and tried just about anything to get a laugh out of everyone.

Mike spent 22 years in the US Army and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) and combat Veteran of Vietnam. He and his family traveled the US and World with the Army (S. Korea,Puerto Rico, SC, KY, KS, AL, TX). He felt honored to teach some of the first women sharpshooters (Fort Jackson), train future aviators (Fort Rucker) and future leaders (Fort Leavenworth). Upon retirement from the US Army, he spent the next 17 years working for Cubic Corp. in support of combat training programs that honed the skills of soldiers in-training, at the US Army National Training Center (NTC) Fort Irwin, CA.

Mike was a dedicated father, family man, and co-homemaker. He drove kids to lessons, practices, rehearsals, and he frequently ended a busy day by making a delicious dinner as head chef of the family. He consistently stood by his family, sharing in both their successes and setbacks throughout life. He was very proud of his children (and grandchildren) and loved them deeply: together they tended gardens of memories that will continue to flourish.

After working 17 years at Cubic, sailing the Pacific Northwest waters, and exploring the region, Mike and Amy entered his second retirement dreaming of sand beaches and ocean-side glasses of wine. During one discussion, Amy mentioned her dad always liked Cape San Blas, Florida and had said it was “one of the most beautiful beaches on the Gulf Coast.” It was close to where they originally met, endorsed by Amy’s late father, and near to some of their southern family. They did not know it at the time, but after a decade of visits to Cape San Blas as “Snow Birds”, the allure of the natural beauty, and the friendships they found, eventually led to their next home.

While living in Cape San Blas, Mike and Amy grew close to a group of friends they referred to as the “Cape-rs” who tried to see the green flash at the end of as many sunsets as they could. In 2018 they bought and sold a house, moved permanently to Walkabout Court Port St. Joe (PSJ), and joined the First United Methodist Church. With the church, Mike delivered blessing bags to children in need and Amy led the book bag program at PSJ Elementary School and together they hosted Sunday School classes in their home. All the while, they passed time with good company, ate good food (and a wee bit of drink).

In 2018 Hurricane Michael spared their young neighborhood, and in 2020 Mike weathered a bad bout with COVID that he believed was defeated with steak and wine. In 2021 he learned of his cancer diagnosis, and while some gave way to despair, he roused from a slumber and politely inquired to his Oncologist when they might start to “kick cancer's butt”—and its butt he did kick.

Mike lived with stage 4 cancer for the next 4 years. He continued to visit with friends and family, volunteer for the church, construct jewelry, study and collect rocks and gems, supervise preparation of their meals, host parties with his wife at his side. And, at his side she remained, every day she could, to appointments, church, concerts, meals, until his last sunsets on this here Earth at Clifford Chester Sims Veterans’ Nursing Home.

Both of Mike’s parents died by age 45, so he always thought living past 45 was living in the afterlife. He did not share any advice for those of you reading this, but his life might be the best advice to share: he was a country boy with an unending curiosity, he loved listening to and making music, he was drafted but joined up, he divorced and found love again, he broke many bones (many different times) but healed, he loved his wife, kids, family, friends, neighbors and perfect strangers, he loved this country and its flag, he was afraid of heights and learned to fly planes and helicopters, he tried to help everyone he could, he brought a sense of calm, humor, and security to so many, and while it was cancer at the end, he lived with purpose, love, humor, and compassion from the beginning.

Mike’s hobbies were Jogging, Flying, Family Chef, Sailing, Music-singing, playing guitar or listening, Rock Hounding, Stargazing, Lapidary &/or Jewelry Construction, Geneology, Military History, Reading/ discussing Science Books and Articles, Foreign and Domestic Travel, Trike travel, and helping others.

Mike loved Jesus, prayed, and grew close to the teachings of the Bible in his later years: he left this world with a settled spirit and a love for a life well-lived.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents, John L. St. John, Viola M. St. John and his sister, Cindy L. St. John. He is survived by: his sister Diana St. John (Colchester, IL) and husband Howard; his brother Steve St. John (Satellite Beach, FL) and wife Deborah; his sister Lisa Beck(Colchester, IL) and husband Greg, his brother Patrick St. John (Colchester, IL) and wife Gina; his many nieces, nephews, and cousins; his wife Amy St. John (PSJ); his daughter Trista St. John (Eureka, CA) and his granddaughter Sophia (Fort Collins, CO) and husband Jacob Yastrow and his great grandson Maize Michael; his son John E. (Jacksonville, FL) and wife Suzanne St. John and his grandson John Luke ; and his son David M. (WA) and wife Tanya St. John, and his grandchildren: Kinsey and Langston.

US Army Medals received: Bronze Star ; Air Medal 1-10; Meritorious Service Medal 1-30LC; Army Commendation Medal; Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Service Medal 1-5; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon 2; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; 2 Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citations with Palm; Senior Aviation Badge; Overseas Bar. Boeing Rescue award, 1975 Korea.

A memorial service in honor of Mike will be held at 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at the Centennial Building (300 Allen Memorial Way, Port St. Joe, Florida). 

Arrangements are entrusted to the caring staff of Comforter Funeral Home in Port St. Joe, Florida.

In lieu of flowers the family request donations be made to:

BLESSING BAGS MINISTRY
First United Methodist Church
PO Box 266
Port St. Joe, FL 32456;

VETERANS of FOREIGN WARS Post 10069
1774 Trout Avenue
Port St.Joe FL 32456;

THE ARC CHURCH
12902 Front Beach Road
Panama City Beach, FL 32407