John Edward Fern

John Edward Fern passed away unexpectedly on April 1, 2026, in Mesa, Arizona where he resided for the past few years. John was born in Nome, Alaska on October 16, 1952, and was welcomed at home by four brothers.
John earned the nickname “Rags” as his clothes were hand-me-downs and were well worn and tattered. This didn’t bother him at all. In later years, his attire improved as he earned money to help buy school clothes that suited him.
After graduation from high school, John attended the University of Alaska in Fairbanks for a short period, then returned to Nome to work. Bright lights and big cities called him and he moved to the Seattle area where he lived and worked most of his adult life. He trained as a dialysis technician and worked for many years to help others live life.
After years of working as a dialysis tech, John returned to Alaska and worked for a BSNC subsidiary at Ft. Greely just outside Delta Junction, Alaska. While in Delta he made new friends and found his Delta family Stephen and Shelly Rihel and their daughter Kaylee.
Sadly, Shelly passed in 2023 and Stephen (John’s very good friend and “brother”) and Kaylee (his special “niece”) planned to be here in Nome but their flight was cancelled due to the volcanic ash.
John retired from his work at Ft. Greely and moved to Anchorage for a year or so. John decided to trade the cold and dark winters of Alaska for the heat and sun in Mesa, Arizona. He enjoyed living in Mesa and made friends easily with his neighbors.
John loved to cook and bake; and shared his love of food with others. When family visited, he always knew the best place to take them out for specific types of meals that were delicious and not too spendy. On his passing, a group of us went to Nando’s Mexican restaurant that he loved in Mesa and they had a new item on the menu “Fern’s Fajita Bowl.”  Not sure if it was inspired by him, but we want to believe it was!
John loved concerts and attended many while living in the Seattle area. His favorite artist was Celine Dion; he was struck by her amazing voice and her grace and beauty.
He loved doing crafts and made many unique Christmas wreaths for family and friends. Each wreath had a custom theme that fit the family he was gifting it to.
John is remembered as a kind, loving, caring, and grateful brother, son, uncle, and friend. John didn’t have kids of his own but enjoyed and cherished any time spent with his nieces and nephews. While living in Seattle he spent a lot of time with his nephew Devin Dukes and Devin’s mom Annie Dukes. Since Devin’s dad Mike worked in Alaska, John was Devin’s connection to his Alaska family. He truly loved all his nieces and nephews. He had a special bond with his great nephew Uinniq Leavitt and his nephew Floyd O’Connor and his wife Melissa and their children, who visited him in Mesa which brought him great joy.
He was greeted in Heaven by his mother Blanche O’Connor Walters and his brothers Lonnie, Jerry and Michael O’Connor, and George and Olaf Walters.
He is survived by his brother Robby O’Connor, sisters Lorena Hegdal and Noreene Cooper, very close and dear cousin Janet Trigg, and many nieces and nephews.