Final Salute

John “Al” Tomizek, age 90, of Grants Pass, died March 31, 2024 at Oak Lane.

Al was born May 28, 1933 in Aberdeen, Washington to parents John and Pearl Tomizek. He grew up in Cosmopolis, Washington and graduated from Aberdeen High School.

He went on to serve in the United States Navy Reserves, as a Seabee, where he was deployed to Africa and Cuba. Al then completed the apprenticeship program and worked for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for over 30 years. He worked on submarines and aircraft carriers; a job that took him all over the world. In 1991 he moved from Port Orchard, Washington to Grants Pass, Oregon.

On August 28, 1959 Al married Jacqueline Alice Lightheart and together they had five children. He was known as “Dad” to all he met. He shared many words of wisdom and was known for the saying “to make a long story short”.

Al was active in his church and with the Josephine County Sportsman Club. He was an avid outdoors man who loved guns, hunting, fishing, and camping.

He was preceded in death by wife Jacqueline Alice Tomizek; daughters Nancy Lee Shelton and Debra Lynn Finney; and grandson Rusty Lee Shelton.

He is survived by children Rick Barnes of Centralia, Washington, Donna Waring of Port Orchard, Washington, and Tammy Elledge of Grants Pass, Oregon; nine grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and nine great-great-grandchildren.

Please share a memory of John in his Guestbook(below)