Horns, John Willard passed away on December 30, 2021. John was born in 1931 in Minneapolis. He moved to California at age 28, but his heart never left Minnesota. In fact, aside from his family, all his passions in life (medicine, mathematics, music, and Minnesota) began with the letter M. Even at age 90 he would work a 10-hour day as a radiation oncologist, read a paper on mathematics to relax, practice playing acoustic bass for a while, then head out to listen to jazz until midnight. His desire to learn about math never waned, and his energy exhausted people one third his age. Though he retired from full-time work at age 85, he continued to work in temporary positions across the country. On his final day, John worked a full day at the hospital in Hibbing had dinner with his great nephew, then went to his hotel to sleep (only because there is no jazz club in Hibbing). He was truly in his happy place. John is survived by his wife Susie, his sister Judy, his children (Matt, Chris, Shawna, and Danny), dozens of grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, a couple of great-grandchildren, hundreds of admirers, and many musicians who will have one less audience member.

Published on January 16, 2022