John Allan Langenheim

John was born on May 26, 1943, in Hollywood, California and died on August 25, 2023, from cardiac arrest. He was 80 years old.

John attended Bishop Elementary in Bishop, California in the late 1940's and 1950's where his father, Allan Langenheim, managed the Bishop Airport and was a part of the UCLA Sierra Wave Project and Study, which is where John developed his love and interest in flying and building airplanes, helping his dad fly the family back to the East Coast when he was only 10. He earned his pilots' license soon after. When John was in the seventh and eighth grades, the family moved to Wichita then back to Hayward, California where John graduated from Tennyson High School in 1961. Because of his early height, he was recruited to play basketball and played basketball as a center for Tennyson High School, San Jose State, Chabot College, and ending his basketball career at Cal State Hayward. As a young man, besides flying, he was interested in electronics, and while in high school, he obtained his ham radio license building his own ham radio station, which he operated from his bedroom, and when he could afford it, he built radio-controlled airplanes in the family garage. His hobbies always accompanied him. To this day, his antenna can be seen rising high above his Tivy Valley home. His call sign was WA6CSJ, turning his teen bedroom into his ham shack to the dismay of his mother. Today, his ham equipment sits quietly behind folding levered doors in the master bedroom and his radio-controlled airplanes hang dustily in his Tivy Valley garage.

While at Chabot College in San Leandro, he met and then married Janeen Albert in March 1966. At the time of John's death, they had been married for 57 years, a real lifetime. This was the time of the Vietnam War and the draft, so instead of waiting for the draft, he joined the Army National Guard while awaiting placement to the California Highway Patrol. John and Janeen's first home was in Castro Valley, where John, as a CHP officer, would often come home for lunch or dinner as he generally patrolled the 580 freeway from Oakland to Tracy, first in a patrol car and then on motorcycles. Their first daughter Jennifer was born in 1975 and their second daughter, Julie, was born in 1978 completing their family. He continued to log flight hours and build experience by flying every chance he could and increasing his licenses and certificates. In 1979, while still with the CHP, John transferred to Lone Pine, California and being the right person at the right time purchased and then continued in the tradition of Bob White's Flying Service and  Forest Service Permit to fly into Tunnel Meadow Air Strip at 9,100 ft. John expanded his flying service by offering air charters, government contracts, air ambulance, and towing gliders from the Lone Pine Airport. John, Janeen, and the girls even lived at and in the Lone Pine Airport for about six months until they were able to sell their home in Castro Valley and buy a home in the rocks in the Alabama Hills, or locally known as the Alabama's. The entire family worked at the airport every summer, and Janeen taught school at Lone Pine High during the off season, until, the closing of Tunnel Air Strip in 1987, which became a Wilderness Area and subject to stricter compliance laws, where no motorized equipment was allowed. John was also a great animal lover, always having, loving, and over feeding at least  one dog at a time. In the last years, he recognized the importance of rescuing and adopting dogs, which he committed to.

For the last 34 years John and Janeen made their home in Tivy Valley amongst the orange orchards and only a short distance from the Kings River as John flew for John Harris, Harris Farms and Harris River Ranch, finally losing his medical in 2011.

He is survived by his wife, Janeen, of 57 years, two daughters, Jennifer and Julie and her husband Brian Del Testa, four grandchildren; Caleb, Devin, Danika, and Cameron; nephew Christopher Bailey and his wife Jennie; niece Cheryl and her husband David Bauer, and nieces Kimberly and Krystal Flower.

In lieu of flowers, if you desire, please honor John's life by giving to one of the following non-profits: Animal Compassion Team of Fresno, Quail Lake Community Church, or NAMI Fresno.

A celebration of life will be held at Quail Lake Community Church on October 28, at 11:00 outside by the Cody Merk deck with lunch following.