John Richard Lyon
John Richard Lyon passed away on August 17, at the age of 97 from natural causes. John was born October 28, 1924, in Sacramento to Helen and Darrell Lyon. In 1942, at the age of 17, John hitchhiked to Portland, Oregon and enlisted in the United States Army. He became a member of the United States 8th Air Force, 390th Heavy Bombardment Group and flew twenty-nine B17combat missions including several operations in the Battle of the Bulge. During his time in the military, John received numerous honors and decorations including the Purple Heart. When the war came to an end, John returned home and soon fell in love with young Margaret Mary Virga. John and Margaret married on December 27, 1945; a marriage that endured for nearly 77 years. Shortly thereafter, John and Margaret moved to Corvallis Oregon where he attended and graduated from Oregon State College. Upon returning to Sacramento, John began working for Dolan’s Lumber. In early 1962 John and his friend Ray Palumbo started Allied Building Materials – the Door Shoppe where they supplied doors and interior trim to thousands of newly constructed homes in the Sacramento region for three decades.
John was a skilled carpenter and builder. He received his contractor’s license in the 1970s and built a family vacation home in Dillon Beach and a family home in Sacramento where he resided until his death. John also enjoyed baseball, golf, and fishing.
John is survived by his loving wife Margaret, son Richard (Denise), daughters Mary Ellen Lyon D.D.S. and Maureen Lyon; grandchildren Christopher Grow, Alexander Lyon and Gabrielle Grow Wijnen (Marcel), great grandson Logan Wijnen and other extended family. John was preceded in death by his sister Helen Margaret (Lyon) Harris. Funeral services are private.
