Obituary of John Wayne Gleason

John Wayne Gleason, of Valley Springs, passed away on April 2, 2016, at the age of 80. He was born in Eckley, Colo., on July 22, 1935. His family moved to Valley Springs when he was a little boy. John was employed by the Calaveras Cement Co. in San Andreas as a heavy equipment operator until retiring when the plant closed in 1983. During the 1950s and 1960s, John served as a volunteer fireman for the community of Valley Springs. He also worked for the Valley Springs Public Utility District for many years. John is survived by his son, Tom Wayne Gleason; daughters, Terri Rae (Richard) Henderson and Sheri Lynn (Russ) Burkhardt; sister, Carol Knapp; eight grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joanne (Conaway) Gleason; father, Elmer Gleason; mother, Beulah (White) Gleason; and brothers, Darlo Gleason, Clifford Gleason, and Jerold Gleason. A chapel service will be held on Saturday, April 9, at 10 a.m. at Lodi Funeral Home, 725 S. Fairmont Ave. Lodi, with a committal to follow at Lodi Memorial Cemetery. There is no visitation. Following the services, the family will have a celebration of life potluck dinner at Community United Methodist Church, 135 Laurel St., Valley Springs, and would like to invite all family and friends. We hope you will come and share your memories with us. Condolences may be shared with the family through this online guestbook.