Jon Joseph Vincent Maestri

Jon Joseph Vincent Maestri, a beloved father, son, grandson, and husband passed away much too early in life on November 6, 2014. Jon was born in Stanford, California on June 5, 1969. He spent his childhood growing up in central Oregon with his mother, siblings, grandmother, aunt, and step-father. When he graduated from high school he moved to San Jose, California where he went to De Anza Community College and San Jose State University. He loved his years spent in San Jose where he got to bond with his father’s side of the family and discover his love for physics. He graduated from San Jose State University in 1993 and moved to Corvallis to pursue a higher degree in physics at OSU. That is where he met his wife of 18 years. Jon was a graduate student teacher in one of the physics classes Kandi was enrolled in. They started dating as soon as that term was over and were married a year and a half later. Jon and Kandi loved Corvallis so much they decided to make it their permanent home and raise their family there. Jon worked as a computer programmer for 15 years before he decided that he was going to go back to his true calling of sharing his knowledge and wisdom with others. He wanted to teach & inspire young minds and at age 43, he started the journey to become a high school physics teacher. Although Jon decided to go back to school to get a degree in education; in reality he had really been a teacher his whole adult life. Jon and Kandi have two wonderful boys, Xander and Parker. They were truly the joy of his life. When they started grade school, Jon cut back his hours at work so he could be the one to pick them up from school every day, help them with their homework, play with them and love them beyond all else. Although Jon was not a certified teacher yet, he had been teaching since the day his sons were born. There were countless conversations around the table about the laws of physics, why the earth spun the way it did, and other deep conversations and lessons learned, that Kandi always shook her head and laughed at. Jon was not only a great father, but he was a great volunteer at the boys’ school. He coached Xander and Parker and their friends in basketball for years. There were many Saturday mornings spent with family and friends in the bleachers at the local schools watching Jon on the sidelines and the boys running down the basketball court. Jon also loved the game of chess and volunteered by teaching chess one day a week for the kids of Ashbrook Independent School, where the boys attend middle school. This past year when the boys got to go to outdoor school, not only did Xander and Parker go but Kandi and Jon were lucky enough to be two of only a handful of parents that attended for the week to help. Jon’s love of family went well beyond just his wife and boys. Although he did not live near his parents or grandparents, he made sure he talked to his mother, stepfather, and grandmothers regularly. There were trips to visit them all as often as possible and in recent years Jon was so thrilled to be able to spend time with his cousins and uncles on the Maestri side. Kandi’s family was always a constant in Jon’s life and he truly loved them like they were this own blood and not just a family he married into. Other than his family, Jon had two primary passions in life – golf and the Beavers. Before the boys activities started dominating every weekend, you could find Jon at the country club three or four times a week. He had cut back his time on the golf course in the last couple years to be with his boys and work on his new career goals, but boy did he love that game! His other great passion was the Beavers. He attended more games than one could keep track of and the first thing he ever did in the morning before or after an OSU sporting event was to read the local paper and see what it had to say about the Beavers. About the only thing he loved more than a good Beaver win was a great Duck loss – now that’s a Beaver fan through and through. Jon was preceded in death by his beloved Frank (Papa) Maestri. Jon is survived by his wife Kandi, sons Xander and Parker, mother Gloria Elloitt and stepfather Ed Elloitt, father Jon Maestri, grandmothers Linn Maestri and Ruby Berry, brother Jim Gannatal, sister Lolly Rassumen, step brothers and sisters Charles Coachman, Jim Coachman, Ruth Eddy, Debbie Zullo and Sam Elliott, and numerous uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Jon’s name to the Linn Benton Food Share or Corvallis Boys and Girls Clubs. A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 pm, Sunday, November 16th at the First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis. A gathering at the Corvallis Country Club will follow the service.

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Jon Joseph Vincent Maestri

June 5, 1969 - November 6, 2014