John Philip Kaye

John Phillip Kaye died peacefully at home on December 10th, surrounded by family. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Nancy Kaye; brother Dr. William Kaye; sons John, James, and Matthew Kaye; daughter Maria Lopez; daughters-in-law Renee, Jana, Kayoko, and Megan; grandchildren Samantha, John, Caytie, Steffany, Tim, Andrew, Lucy, Ed, Nick, Michele, Zachary, and David; great-grandchildren Caydon, Elijah, Otto, Olive, Elliot, and June. He was preceded in death by his wife of 24 years, Catherine Kaye. A funeral mass will be held at St. Anne Catholic Church in Blaine, WA on December, 28th. He was an honest man, a man of integrity, perseverance, and determination. He was a man of faith – in God, the Catholic church, his country and our future generations. He believed that hard work and grit could overcome all obstacles. He was a hard worker and took great pride in a job well done. He was a leader, with tremendous inner strength, courage and confidence. John was kind of a Renaissance man. He was a craftsman, carpenter, farmer, master gardener, family historian, cowboy, sheep herder, cat lover, gourmet cook, hunter, advocate of sustainable agriculture, proponent of healthy diets, fisherman, boater, kayaker, cross country skier, backpacker, lover of German sports cars, card player, traveler, and shooter. He loved to entertain friends and family over long dinners that invariably started off with a stiff martini, followed by good food, good conversation and good red wine. With a couple glasses of red wine in him, he loved to dance, typically to Neil Diamond or Gordon LIghtfoot songs. He suffered from a stutter and claimed to be an introvert, but if you knew John, you know that he was anything but. He insisted on knowing his neighbors whether they wanted to know him or not. John believed in civic duty and was an active volunteer and community activist. He believed strongly in supporting our veterans and played an integral role in bringing the Vietnam wall to NW Washington. John took great pride in being a soldier and an officer in the United States Army, where he served for 26 years. He was a member of the 4th Infantry Division of the US Army, served in combat in Vietnam, as a battalion commander in Nuremberg, Germany and as a military advisor to the Shah of Iran. In his combat fatigues or in his Army blues, John cut a pretty dashing figure. At the young age of 33 years old, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and retired as such 10 years later, eschewing the opportunity to advance his career by attending the Army War College in Washington DC. Phase 2 of his life entailed losing Catherine to cancer, marrying Nancy, creating Eagle Wings farm, starting 3 businesses and then enjoying retirement with trips to Arizona to shoot, New Zealand and Canada to fish, and a cruise around South America. Perhaps John’s greatest legacy was his role as a father to his three sons and one daughter. He instilled the values of respect, pride, integrity, perseverance and hard work. He had some hard edges that were softened and forgotten by shows of compassion, generosity and love. He was a fortunate man. Fortunate in that he led a full life and had two wonderful partners to share it: Catherine and Nancy. Two remarkable, strong resilient women who loved and adored him, complemented him, and made him a better man. John Kaye was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, son and brother. He will be greatly missed and leaves us rich with memories. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Vietnam Veteran’s of America, or a charity of your choice, would be appreciated.

John Philip Kaye

October 30, 1933 - December 10, 2020