March 22, 1940—March 12, 2024
John Alexander Ethen passed away peacefully on March 12, 2024 in Seattle, Washington, at the age of 83, surrounded by his family. John was born March 22, 1940 in Duluth, Minnesota and is survived by his wife Janet, daughter Heather, son John, son in law Greg along with his grandkids Olivia and Max.
John grew up in Daluth as the son of Christy (Mclean) and Eugene Ethen, a nurse and police officer. Growing up, John enjoyed the typical Minnesota activities of fishing and playing hockey with friends. And keeping his parents on their toes.
John went on to college at the University of Minnesota where he graduated with degrees in both business and industrial engineering. John had many professional accomplishments, culminating in his role as President of Midwest Energy Resources Company, a position he held for 22 years, until he retired in 1997.
John met his wife Janet in 1966 in Syracuse, New York while working as a safety engineer and Janet as a nurse. They met through a mutual acquaintance. John would often comment that any of his success in life was due to Janet’s support. His love for her was endless. John and Janet both loved the outdoors. Some of their favorite more recent memories together are from the many hikes and travels they did throughout Europe. They celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary last December.
John’s youthful energy and outgoing demeanor made it easy for him to meet people, who often became longtime friends. He loved to talk on the phone to check in regularly with the people in his life. Friends and family were extremely important to him.
John and Janet retired to Big Sky, Montana in 1997 where they built their dream home, dubbed the Lazy J Ranch. They enjoyed 25 years in Big Sky, making more close friends and having incredible days enjoying the beautiful outdoors. John loved everything about Big Sky. And you couldn’t go far in town without someone shouting his name to say “Hello.” Oftentimes, daily small talk with friends around town would lead to trip planning and mischievous outdoor adventures. These adventures included river rafting fly fishing hiking and perhaps some out-of-bounds skiing. John was also a proud member of the Big Sky Ski Patrol for 17 years. He enjoyed the friendship and camaraderie with his fellow patrol on the mountain, enjoying a beer in the locker room at the end of the day.
Early in his professional career, while working as a plant manager for Huron Cement, John was transferred to Green Bay, Wisconsin. This move would be the start of his fandom for the Green Bay Packers. He was a very devoted fan of “The Pack”, showing tribute through his license plate (“GOPACKGO”) and clothing choices. All the way to the end of his life, Sundays in football season were the best of times. It was always a good day if the Pack won.
There will be a mass in the Big Sky Chapel on May 11 at 11:00 a.m. with a reception following at BYWOM.
In lieu of a gift or flowers, the family would ask donations be made in John’s honor to eaglemount.org a nonprofit based in Bozeman that is committed to providing quality therapeutic recreational opportunities for people with disabilities and young people with cancer.
