John David Mayhew, 62
John David Mayhew, 62, passed away Sunday, Nov. 13, 2005, at his home in Kalispell.
He was born Jan. 12, 1943, in Hays, Kan., the son of Leslie and Velma (Green) Mayhew.
He grew up in Plainville, Kan., and graduated from Plainville High School, attended Fort Hays State University for several years. He came to visit his brother in the Flathead Valley, and decided this is the place he would spend the rest of his life.
Dave worked several jobs before joining the Kalispell Fire Department, first as the vacation man, then as a full-time fireman/EMT. He spent the next 27 years working his way up the rank from fireman to fire marshal, the position he held until his retirement in 1996. The Fire Department was the most important thing in his life.
He was an experienced arson fire investigator and belonged to the city/county arson team. He attended the National Fire Academy in Emmetsburg, Md., numerous times for further training in fire investigation, arson, Haz-Mat as well as other classes. He also attended classes/training in Montana and surrounding states.
He was called John to those who didn't know him, J.D. to those who were familiar with him, and Dave to his friends and loved ones. Dave played hard, worked hard and lived hard, and loved life to the fullest. He did everything he wanted to do. In his younger years, he raced cars on the dirt tracks all across Kansas, flew airplanes, fished the lakes in Flathead County, cut Christmas trees, golfed every chance he got as well as competing in trap shoots. He always had Doberman dogs, and Penny was his pride and joy. He was known as a quiet man, but had so much humor and always having a smirk on his face. He was also a very stubborn man.
In the second stage of his life, he wanted a family. After five years of being best friends with Jan, he finally convinced her to try marriage again. On Nov. 11, 1995, he married Jan (Perkins) Phillips in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and was promoted from being only an uncle, to instantly becoming a husband, father and grandfather. His nieces, nephew, great-nephews and now his new family made Dave complete. The first fight he had with Jan in the five years they knew each other, was when he decided to move to Kansas when he would retire from the Fire Department.
He retired, they moved, but was back for good in August 2000. Kansas was nice, but Montana was home to his family.
Dave cheated death numerous times, the last 10 years of his life he survived cancer, and complications of diabetes, heart attacks and other very serious illnesses. His stubbornness kept him going. His body finally wore out Nov. 13, 2005, when he quietly died at home.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother, Mike Mayhew.
He is survived by his wife, Janet 'Jan' Mayhew, of Kalispell; son, Charles Phillips, and wife, Angela, of Rochester, N.Y.; daughter, JoAnn (Phillips) Lee, and husband, James, and grandsons, Dillon, James Jr. and Justin David Lee, all of Kalispell; son, Tim Phillips, and wife, Melissa, of Kalispell; nephew, Dennis Mayhew, and wife, Phyllis; with great-nephews, Alex and Spenser Mayhew, all of Kalispell; niece, Tracy Mayhew, of San Diego; niece, Sara Mayhew Tays, and husband, Brian; with great-nephews, Sam and Wyatt of Bonney Lake, Ore.; a sister-in-law, Georgia Mayhew, of Kalispell; with numerous cousins, aunts, friends and family in Kansas.
Memorial services for John David Mayhew will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, for a fireman's funeral at First Presbyterian Church, with Pastor Glenn Burfiend officiating along with Fire Chaplain Hal Irvine. Fire Department personnel will ring the bell three times to honor one of their own and bring him home. There will be no visitation.
Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for Dave's family.