Obituary: John Frederick Sytsma

John Frederick Sytsma 1921 ~ 2007 John F. Sytsma, beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away on May 29, 2007 of natural causes. He was known as a witty and generous man who was well loved by family and friends. Born in Paterson, New Jersey on July 22, 1921 to Frederick John and Alice Hutchinson Sytsma, he married his high school sweetheart, Phyllis June Stingle, in 1942. They were married for over sixty years until her death in 2004. As a member of "The Greatest Generation" John served his country during World War II, in the U.S. Army, in the Philippines. During the Depression, John had been able to find employment as a fireman for the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad. Working his way up to engineer, he became area representative for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), an international labor union. In 1956, he and his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he became office administrator at the BLE headquarters. From 1962 to 1986, he held the offices of Secretary Treasurer, First Vice President and then, President, for a period of 10 years. After retirement, John and Phyllis moved to Salt Lake City, in order to be near family. John formed a close relationship with his grandson Mark Lubbers. The two of them enjoyed many adventures together and were always best "pals". During this time, John was able to indulge a long time interest in firefighters and fire engines. An excellent photographer, he became official volunteer photographer for the Salt Lake County Fire Department. Over the course of his service with the department, he took over 20,000 pictures of fires and apparatus. He continued in this role until macular degeneration robbed him of his sight. He is survived by his sister Carol Beun and two daughters, Jacqueline (Floyd) Pruitt of Dunwoody, Georgia; and Ruth (Bruce) Lubbers of Salt Lake City. His four grandchildren are Mark Lubbers of Salt Lake City; Sarah (Phillip) Torrence of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Jonathan (Jenny) Pruitt of Silver Creek, Georgia; and Joshua Pruitt of Atlanta, Georgia. John also has three great-grandchildren: John Mark, Gracie Claire and Benjamin Bruce Torrence of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Funeral services will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, 12 North C Street, Salt Lake City, on Sat., June 2 at 11 a.m. John will be interred in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 1342 E. 500 S. Family and friends are invited to return to the church for a light lunch. Funeral Directors are Neil O'Donnell & Sons. The family thanks the staff at Brighton Gardens for the professional and loving care given to John. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Camp Kostopulos, an organization serving children and adults with disabilities. The camp is located at 2500 Emigration Canyon Road, SLC 84108.