John William Bacon ’52 was 84 years old when he died at his home in Atherton from cardiac arrest in the early morning of November 13th. John William Bacon was born in San Mateo, California in 1930 to John Andrew Bacon and Helen Oberhelman Bacon, both natives of New Orleans. A lifelong resident of the Peninsula, he grew up in Burlingame and attended Our Lady of Angels School, Serra High School, Army and Navy Academy, and Santa Clara University.
In 1950 he married the love of his life, Lynn Jackson Bacon; they were together for 64 years. They had eight children, and in 1963 moved to Atherton where they lived for the remainder of John’s life. John’s career in the lumber business began in the early 50’s at San Bruno Lumber Company. In 1964 he purchased San Mateo Lumber with his father-in-law William W. Jackson. In 1971 he left San Bruno Lumber and acquired South City Lumber and Supply in South San Francisco. In 1975 he purchased Economy Lumber Company, Oakland, and in 2010 Piedmont Lumber in Oakland, now Economy Lumber Piedmont. Over six decades John built one of the largest group of lumber and building material companies in Northern California. By understanding the needs of professional contractors his companies were able to thrive in the face of growing competition. During the 1950’s, John, working with his brother Donald Bacon and others, opened the Green Giant Nursery in Millbrae. A certain grocery vegetable company forced a name change to Green Garden Nursery. They became involved in organizing the Western Garden and Trade show which became the San Francisco Outdoor Garden Exposition in 1967.
John kept horses in Woodside for many years while training for, participating in, and finishing, the endurance ride – The Western States Trail Ride, the Tevis Cup – 100 miles with the same horse and rider from Tahoe City to Auburn in under 24 hours. He was a member of the Rancheros Visitadores, and delighted in telling tales of his experiences on the trail of their annual ride near Santa Barbara. He served on the Alumni Board of the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad.
If there are founding fathers of bike riding in the Menlo Atherton area, John was one. He knew very inch of "The Loop", the Alpine Rd. Sandhill Rd. ride that from the early 1960’s into the 1990’s was part of his weekend, usually accompanied by his good friend Douglas Hughmanick of Atherton, often trailed by a collection of their children. John was an insatiable reader, particularly of history, and always wanted to discuss the latest book. He loved to cook and barbecue for his family and friends whom he entertained with wit and wisdom as he tended the chicken and ribs. Late in life he took up painting and surprised many, including himself, with his artistic talent. John was by nature a very generous man. Giving to charities and causes too numerous to mention was an important part of his life.
John is survived by his wife, Lynn Jackson Bacon of Atherton, and seven children: Leslie Bacon of Berkeley, John Bacon Jr. (Patricia Bolich) of Orinda, Grant Bacon of Burlingame, Thomas Bacon (Martha Abrams) of Menlo Park, William Bacon of Belmont, Susan McComas (Alex) of Palo Alto, and Peter Bacon of Lake Oswego, Oregon. He was blessed with sixteen grandchildren: Ariel (Sage), Ella, Alice, John III (Jack), Adam, Lena, Sarah, Adelaide, Ruth, Will, Lucy, Scott, Molly, Ashley, Emily and Alex. He enjoyed spending time with his four great-grandchildren, Olive, Charlie, Elle (Cheech), and Seneca. John was predeceased by his son, Scott Michael Bacon of Redwood City in 1995, and his only brother Donald Bacon ’56, of Tillamook, Oregon in 2013. He is also survived by two nephews and a niece in Portland. He was loved and admired by many, and will be enormously missed.