John Francis Sloat Jr

John Francis Sloat Jr passed away in the early evening on December 26th, 2025. He was staying in Madison Park, with a beautiful view of the water, on a street where he had once walked with his daughters when they were very small. John was born to John Francis Sr. and Marie Sloat on July 9, 1957 in Waterloo, Iowa. He had two younger brothers, Kevin and Patrick, and a younger sister, Tracy. His family moved from Iowa to Chicago where John attended Fenwick Catholic High. After high school John followed his Dad to California where he rowed crew for Orange Coast Community College, and then at UCLA. While at UCLA John developed a passion for politics and global affairs that took him to Washington DC where he worked first for Democratic Representative Cardiss Collins and then Republican Representative Don Young. Just a few years later John was offered an opportunity to live and work in Japan, which he eagerly accepted. The years he spent in Japan were some of the happiest of his life, and he made many lifelong friends and developed a passion for Japanese history, especially the stories of the legendary Daimyo Takeda Shingen. After returning to the states John spent a little time in California before moving to Seattle with his wife, Mary. John and Mary met in Washington DC, and were married for thirty-seven years before divorcing in 2024. At the time of the move John had only visited the Pacific Northwest a couple times, but he had always seen himself living there. He attended grad school at the University of Washington and after Madison Park moved his family to Issaquah. His daughters Bridget and Katherine loved visiting their Dad at his big office job in the city. Their favorite days were when they’d visit him in the office, and he’d take them around to talk to all his coworkers before taking them out for pizza and Italian sodas. John would probably say the highlight of his life in Issaquah was the birth of his son, John Francis Sloat III, or Jack. Shortly after Jack’s birth John embarked on two big adventures: moving the family to Bainbridge Island and starting his own UX and Web Design Company.

Both had been longtime dreams of John’s. An article about the ten best places to live in the US - starring Bainbridge Island as number 5 - had caught his eye before he’d even moved to Seattle. He loved his life on Bainbridge: birdwatching, golfing, the Bainbridge Island Football Club, and forest bathing. He loved the slice of water you could see from his kitchen window. He loved coffee and cinnamon rolls at Blackbird Bakery with his friends. But John also loved to travel, both near and far. At least once a year he’d drive his family down the coast to Arch Cape, Oregon, where they’d sometimes stay for weeks. He loved his regular trips to Vegas with his friends Brian and Dan. He loved intercontinental travel too, loved taking his children to all the places he’d visited as a younger man, including Ireland, Germany, Greece, and, of course, Japan. Among many other places John also traveled to Thailand, Tanzania, and Australia. These were the things that were important to John: travel, family, friends - and cinnamon rolls.

John’s Catholic faith was tremendously important to him. He believed in the unfaltering love and mercy of Jesus Christ, in the strength of the soul, in heaven. He has joined his parents and Tracy now in that golden beautiful place, along with all of our beloved who have passed. Words are quiet in that place, and there’s a forest full of birds, and a house by a beach with softly lapping waves. I imagine that he’s sitting on the porch watching the sun set, staring out across the endless horizon, waiting for that green flash. I hope you sleep well tonight, Dad. Tomorrow there will be cinnamon rolls and walks on the beach. I hope you find a sand dollar. I hope you know that you are loved, you are missed, and we will see you soon.

In lieu of flowers, we welcome memorial donations to the Bainbridge Island Rotary (bainbridgeislandrotary.org/donation/)

Arrangements are entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island, WA