Obituary: Yeats, John Thomas
YEATS, John Thomas
John passed away on April 30, 2016 in Spokane, Washington at the age of 89.
John was born March 8, 1927 in Independence, Missouri to Harry F. and Marie A. Yeats and he is a direct descendant of the Irish poet W.B.
Yeats and artist Jack B. Yeats.
John graduated from Gonzaga High School in 1945 and served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
He married Tressia Powers on December 16, 1946 and continued his education at Gonzaga University.
He was the owner and operator of Northwest Spray Company for 46 years.
John was a member of the Nurseryman’s Association, Knights of Columbus, and a life member of the VFW Post 51.
John is preceded in death by his uncle, Fr.
Leo J. Yeats, S.J.
; brother, Francis Yeats; sister, Evelyn Walhovd; daughter, Linda Anastasio; and granddaughter Anna Marie Anastasio.
He is survived by his daughters: Diane Michele (Bob) Yeats, Kathryn Yeats, and Alisa Christine (Brett) Johnson; son-in-law, Bryan Anastasio; three grand- children: Chad Cunningham, Lesley Cunningham, and Mac Johnson; five great-grandchildren: Jacob, Caitlin, Brenna, Thomas, and Miela.
Also survived by Tressia Yeats and companion of 25 years, Marlene Weller.
John enjoyed fishing with his brother Bob, traveling and spending time on the Oregon coast.
He looked forward to his 4PM cocktail and playing Bingo at Post 51.
John and Marlene traveled to Ireland, London, Australia, New Zealand, and most of the northwest.
For the last 15 years, they spent three weeks a year at their timeshare in Depot Bay, Oregon.
John was a loyal fan of the Zags and the Seattle Seahawks.
There will be a viewing on May 13, 2016 at Hennessey Funeral Home (2203 N. Division St., Spokane, WA) from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and a viewing at St. Francis of Assisi Church (1104 W. Heroy Ave., Spokane, WA) from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM followed by a Rosary.
The funeral will be held on May 14, 2016 at 9:00 AM at St. Francis of Assisi Church.
A Veterans Honor Guard will be held at Holy Cross Cemetery (7200 N. Wall St., Spokane, WA) at 11:00 AM.
There will be a memorial and reception at 12:00 PM at the VFW Post 51 located at 300 W. Mission Ave, Spokane, WA.
Memorial contributions may be sent to St. Francis of Assisi Church (1104 W. Heroy Ave., Spokane, WA 99205), Morning Star Foundation (PO Box 31330, Spokane, WA.
99223) and VFW Post 51 (300 W. Mission Ave., Spokane, WA 99201).
Please visit John’s online memorial at www.hennesseyfuneralhomes.com.