John Leon Daley

John was born in Walla Walla Wash. on July 22, 1944 to Francis Gerard Daley and Merna Maxine Thompson. The family moved to Boston for the first years of his life. A few years later a brother Joe Daley joined the family when they moved to Walla Walla, Wash. and then to Los Angeles where John grew up and attended and graduated from Hollywood High. John had many friends and extended family that he helped raise. John was into the surfing and 60’s scene. He traveled Europe in the early twenties with his friend John Ward and they saw Amsterdam, Spain, France, Greece, and Istanbul. He met Marina Rios in school and they had many happy years together.

They moved to Portland, Ore. in the 1972 where he had two Daughters Jon’l and Martine Daley that he doted on. He obtained an associates degree in Television and joined Oregon Public Broadcasting in 1976. He started in engineering and worked his way up to Producer/ Director and worked on many interesting and informative productions including the Cindy Williams Show.

In 2000 he moved to Benge, Wash. where he raised cattle and worked as a Rest Area Attendant for the Washington State Department of Transportation until his retirement.

John married Colleen Connell in 2001. They remained happily married until he passed away suddenly in his home on May 25th, 2022. John was preceded in death by his parents, Francis Gerard Daley, Merna Daley, his grandparents and aunts Rhonda Smith, Bernandine Queen, his nephew Joey Daley, and many Vietnam era friends.

He leaves behind his wife, Colleen Daley, brother, Joe Daley, daughters: Jon’l Daley Sustakoski, (husband Chris), Martine Daley (Fiancée Andrew Powers), step daughter Robin Conn, stepson Jared Northcote, grandchildren: Brixton Sustakoski, Ashley Boyer, Rhianna Conn, Wesley Northcote, nephew Matt Daley, cousins Teddy Crippen, Lynn Ott, Cindy Cornealius, Randy Conrad and Dennis Smith. He also leaves behind many wonderful friends and extended family. John loved people, fun and life. He will be sorely missed.

There will be a celebration of life/ wake for John at the Washtucna Grange on July 9th, 2022 from 1-4 pm with a pot luck lunch, BYOB.