Born August 27, 1929 in Manchester, Lancashire, England to Sydney & Margery Hargreaves.  Predeceased by his wife of 70 years, Ellen in early 2021 & his brother, Tony in England.  He is survived by his daughter, Monica (Chris), sons, Michael (Debbie), David (Heather) Richard (Judy).  Grandchildren, Stephen, Jennifer, Kevin, Spencer, Justin, Laura and Rachel and 9 great grandchildren.

John enjoyed a very busy & full life, starting his career in his teens by going to sea as an apprentice deck officer. Eventually he earned his Mates Certificate & went to work the English coast on a Collier.  Met his wife, (a student nurse,) at a hospital dance, engaged 10 days later, and married in 1950.  He joined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service as a 2nd Mate and eventually Captain on tankers, ammunition & salvage ships. He travelled the world over and later he became a Royal Navy Diving Officer & an Admiralty Salvage Officer for the RFA.

In 1967 John & his family immigrated to Nova Scotia, along with one dog & one cat. He was a captain in the Canadian Coast Guards while there. Later he joined The Foundation Maritime as a Salvage Officer.  In winter of 1968 the family & one additional cat travelled by car to Vancouver, BC there he worked for a Dutch Company before working at International Hydro Dynamics running deep diving submarines.  He then went to work for Canadian Transport as a Super Cargo & later a Marine Superintendment. 

He moved to Vancouver Island in the early 1970's & volunteered as an Ambulance Driver for many years.  While living in Ladysmith John & his wife built Saltair Kennels.  He wrote computer programs for shipping.  Later he moved to Port Coquitlam where they built Cats Only Boarding Kennels.

In the 1980's he moved to Grand Forks where he became the Grand Forks Rural Fire Chief.  He travelled weekly to the Lower Mainland to teach at the Justice Institute to teach emergency duties & ship board firefighting. 

John semi retired to Maple Ridge & taught the Western Associate of Sailors again, this time from Vancouver Island to Winnipeg.  John fully retired at the age of 82.

John “Crossed The Bar” October 16, 2026 after a short illness. Wishing you Fair Winds & Calm Seas.