Obituary of John Edward Pflock

John Edward Pflock

April 14, 1955 – April 10, 2019

 

John passed away unexpectedly at his home in Santa Cruz, four days short of his 64th birthday.

 

John was born in Visalia and moved with his parents to Scotts Valley when he was three. John attended Scotts Valley Elementary and Junior High along with many friends who were members of the Soquel High School class of 1973.

 

John was exceptional in school and very athletic, participating in tennis and football. He spoke three languages, which served him well while traveling and working overseas. John made friends wherever he went.

 

John loved the ocean and was passionate about surfing. He was fortunate to travel around the world surfing the best spots. Locally, you would find Johnny in the early morning or the late afternoon on his bike with his surfboard tucked under his arm, heading to Pleasure Point. He also loved Lake Tahoe and Mammoth, he spent several seasons living, working, and skiing at Alpine Meadows. John hiked the Western High Sierra with family and friends. He enjoyed rough high-adventure back-packing, cresting high passes, catching and filleting strings of trout, and pitching tents in summer afternoon downpours. John was also passionate about Porsches and regularly attended car race events at Laguna Seca and Sears Point. He would serve as a crewman for his road racing friends.

 

After more than a decade working at Trader Joe's in Capitola, John retired. He'd still make visits to Trader Joe’s to see his friends, enjoy the vibe, and stock the refrigerator.

 

To his friends, John was a loveable, entertaining character with a big heart who left a lasting impression. He was also a faithful son who moved home to care for his father during his final illness. Johnny valued family ties and would travel to visit aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. He would camp on the couch for a week or so, play with his young relatives, and talk nonstop.

 

John leaves behind his companion Julie Kersey; aunts Carolyn Wahl Ramirez (George) and Frances Wahl Pierce (Herb); a brother, Steven Pflock (Ethera); six cousins; and seven nieces and nephews.

 

There will be a celebration of Johnny's life on August 6th, at 10 am, at Pleasure Point. If you surf, please come and join the paddle out. Those who aren't surfers, please join us on the cliffs above. We hope to see you there

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John Pflock, please visit Tribute Store