John passed away peacefully surrounded by his four children. John was 95 and resided in Saratoga.  He is survived by son, John Wilcox IV, daughter Julie Keeney and son-in-law Tom Keeney, son Tom Wilcox and daughter-in-law Jennifer Wilcox, and daughter Lori Christensen and son-in-law Eric Christensen. He is also survived by six grandchildren: Emily and JT Wilcox, daughter and son of Tom and Jennifer, Owen and Ryan Christensen, sons of Lori and Eric, and Clara and Christa Wilcox, daughters of John Jr.

John was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa on April 26, 1929, the second of four children to Jack and Geraldine Wilcox. His parents were the largest rose wholesaler in the country, and he quickly learned the value of discipline and hard work by working in the greenhouses for 10 cents an hour. He graduated from Iowa State University with a business degree. While in college he started his career selling life insurance policies to his Phi Gamma Delta fraternity brothers and college classmates. By 1963 he was the Regional Manager of Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co., which later became Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. After serving as an officer in the Army Field Artillery branch during the Korean War, he returned to the insurance and financial planning business, retiring after 60+ years. This was the only job he held and the only company he worked for after graduating college.

He was married in December of 1961, to his beautiful wife, wonderful mother, and his best friend, Martha Ryan, who passed before him in October of 2003.

John was a dedicated and inspirational husband, father, and grandfather. He loved his family dearly and they were always his highest priority. Because he was steadfast in his faith, it was important to him that each of his children were provided with a Catholic education, and he worked incredibly hard to ensure this was possible for all four children up to and including college. He cherished fond memories of traveling the world with Martha and in addition enjoyed many wonderful trips with the entire family over the years.

When he wasn't spending time with family, he was a loyal and welcoming friend to many. He enjoyed playing golf and bocce ball in addition to coordinating nightly dinners with other residents at Saratoga Retirement Community (SRC) where he lived for the last 20 years of his life. He started the hospitality committee at SRC to ensure all new residents felt welcome and mentored as they adjusted to their new home. John also enjoyed playing the piano and stayed healthy by participating in yoga and tai chi.

John was always passionate about helping others and giving back to his community. Over the years he has served as president of the Diabetes Society of Santa Clara Valley, president of the San Jose Sales Executives, president of the Council Bluffs Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees), and board member of San Jose Rotary. While a member of the San Jose Rotary Choir, he sang for President Gerald Ford. He cooked for the Homeless Care Force and has always been active in his church including serving as vice-president of the parish council, faith sharing lead, and usher throughout the 50+ years he was a parishioner. He was also involved in the Cursillo movement and Marriage Encounter. In ~2010 he began raising money for Alzheimer's research, earning the "Grand Champion" award every year.

The rosary will be held at 10 AM followed by the funeral mass at 10:30 AM on Saturday, June 15th at Sacred Heart Church in Saratoga. Burial will take place at Madronia Cemetery in Saratoga on Monday, June 17th at 11 AM.

In lieu of flowers and in memory of John and his love for his autistic grandson Ryan, donations may be made in John's name to The Bay School in Santa Cruz (www.thebayschool.org/donate) dedicated to serving individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.