John Gaylord

John M. Gaylord was born September 25, 1956 in San Antonio, Texas to his loving parents, John and Clara Gaylord. He was the oldest of four children. His parents served proudly in the U.S. Air Force, and in his early years they moved often. John broke his neck playing football for Glendale High School. After a miraculous recovery, he graduated in 1974 as Student Body President and went on to work his way through a Bachelor"s degree at Northern Arizona University as the night manager for a local grocery store. He attended law school at Arizona State University, where he met his wife Karen. They spent their early married years traveling in the U.S. Marine Corps. Shortly after the birth of their first child, John joined the Marine Reserves, and they moved to their home in Chandler. John worked in private practice for the next several years, excluding a voluntary activation for Operation Desert Storm. He ran for the State Legislature in 1992, but lost in a hand of poker after a dead-tie primary. Never bitter, he framed the cards, and the election became one of his favorite stories. He left private practice to work for the Arizona State Attorney General. He was appointed to the Maricopa County Superior Court in 2000, where he served on the Family, Criminal, and Juvenile court benches. He retired from the Corps at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, but remained a Marine to his death. Early in his career, he served on the planning and zoning commission for the City of Chandler. More recently, he was a District Commissioner for the Boy Scouts, and active in the Knights of Columbus. He was on the advisory boards for St. Mary-Basha School and Seton Catholic High School, both in Chandler. He served on Academy selection committees for Senator Kyl and Representative Flake. He was also very active in his Parish - St. Mary"s - and a faithful supporter of many charities. Three weeks before his death he became the proud owner of a Harley Davidson Road King motorcycle. He was killed in the desert he loved on the motorcycle he"d wanted all his life. He was preceded in death by his father John. He is survived by Karen, his wife of twenty-four years, his children Austin, Andrew, and Alexandra, and his faithful canine companion Hobbes. He is mourned by his mother, Clara, and his siblings and their spouses "" Mark Gaylord (Joy), Michael Gaylord (Pam), and Terri Moore (Jerry). He was blessed with many wonderful in-laws and a very close extended family, all of whom will miss him dearly. He loved his family, his many friends, America, and the Marine Corps - not necessarily in that order. He loved the desert, almost as much as he loved the mountains of Taos, New Mexico. His favorite actor was John Wayne, his favorite singer was Chris LeDoux, and his favorite movie was She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. His favorite books were Lion of Ireland and Man in the Iron Mask, but his favorite author was Louis L"Amour. He was a miserable cook, but the world"s best father. He valued faith and family, and believed in truth and justice. A fair and honorable man, he will be missed by all who knew him. A prayer service will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11 at Seton Catholic High School in Chandler. A visitation will be held at St, Mary"s Catholic Church in Chandler on Thursday, April 12, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Timothy"s Catholic Church in Mesa at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 13, with internment to follow at 12:30 p.m. at National Memorial Cemetery in Cave Creek. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Judge John M. Gaylord Charitable Foundation, c/o John Sinodis 2800 N. Central Ave., Suite 1800, Phoenix, AZ 85004.