John Albert Teas
4/2/1930 - 4/5/2008 - It has been said that the dash between the dates represents a person's whole life. I'd like to write a little about John's "dash."
He was born in Tonasket, Wash., to Amos William Teas and Mary Elizabeth (Beale) Teas, the first of their seven children. He grew up in the farming/ranching country around Oroville, graduating from high school in Molson. Then he worked for another rancher for two years before enlisting in the Air Force. While serving, he learned about radar. Most of his enlistment was spent in Roswell, N.M. where he met and married Sonja (Lindsey) Teas on June 4, 1955.
That fall, they moved to Lubbock, Texas where she started nursing training and the next year he began at Texas Tech. There he earned his bachelors degree in electrical engineering. Upon his graduation in 1961, they drove to Fairbanks, Alaska where he went to work for the Geophysical Institute at the University.
His first job there was tracking satellites. Then he was assigned to the maintenance of all sky cameras along the DEW Line, in connection with auroral studies. While he worked at such futuristic endeavors, they homesteaded on Chena Ridge where they had to carry water from town and didn't have electricity for a while.
After 14 years they drove to Haines, boarded the Columbia and headed for Sitka. Here they bought an old church building and while waiting for the test equipment he had ordered to come, he began to build a workbench and Sitka Electronics Lab was born. This was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream - to own his own business. After a couple of years, he sent for a friend at the Geophysical Institute and Mel Holmgren moved his wife and seven children to Sitka and a "handshake" partnership of over 30 years began.
John was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Robert Ernest Teas and son, Robert Walter Teas, Sr.
He is survived by his wife; sons: William Henry Teas of Clatskanie, Ore., Daniel Lindsey Teas and David Wayne Teas, both of Sitka; daughter, Mary Phern (Teas) Ballard of Denver, N.C. Also grandchildren: Melissa Ann (Teas) Henricksen, Nichole Marie (Teas) Padgett, Robert Walter Teas, Jr., Kory Daniel Teas and Lisa Marie Teas, all of Sitka; Jesse Leigh (Teas) Hitt of Ilwaco, Wash., Jason Abbott of Juneau, Kyle Wayne Ballard of Greensborough, N.C., Stephanie Ballard, Yshana Ballard and Elricc James Ballard, all of Denver, N.C. Also great-grandchildren: Alexandria Starr and Troy William Henricksen of Juneau, Michael Trenton and Ryan Nielsen, Alisa Padgett, Anthony and Jaiden Teas, all of Sitka, and Daniel Jaymes Ballard of Denver, N.C. Also his brothers: Frank, Herb, Tom and Roy; and his sister, Esther (Teas) Selking.
John enjoyed studying and discussing the Bible, shooting and working on his guns, reloading, woodcarving, photography and reading. John was a good Christian man who loved his Lord, his family and his customers, and left some big footprints to fill. He died at home as he wanted. We will all miss him very much, but his suffering is over and he is at home with his Lord, waiting for us.
A memorial service will be held on Aug. 23, 2008 at 2 p.m. at the home of Tom Teas, 14 Gayes Point Rd.
