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<em>JOHN V. ROCK, JR</em>., a quiet, scholarly Irishman, was born in Boston, Massachusetts on 8 April 1932, the son of John and Eleanor Rock. Along with his sister Ann, John grew up in the Boston area, where he attended the prestigious Boston Latin School. After a year at the University of Wisconsin, John won a congressional appointment to West Point and joined the Class of ’55 as a new plebe in the summer of ’51.</p>
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John’s West Point years were marked by high achievement in academics and leadership. Always ranked among the top students of his class, John missed the cutoff for wearing the stars of a distinguished cadet by one man. At graduation, he won an award as the top student of his class in German.</p>
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As evidenced by the steady stream of cadets to John’s room for tutoring sessions, John was always generous to those less-fortunate cadets who found themselves struggling in the world of academics. A fine all-around athlete, John had little trouble with the physical demands of West Point, and he loved all sports. As a cadet, he excelled in baseball, boxing and pocket billiards. In later years, he took up golf and tennis. John’s quiet dignity masked his fiercely competitive nature. John loved to win and hated to lose, and he refused to quit, no matter what the competition.</p>
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After graduation in 1955, John qualified as a paratrooper and served for years with the elite 11th Airborne Division in Germany. At the time, our world was experiencing a lull between the wars of Korea and Viet Nam, and John decided to leave the Army and try the field of electrical engineering. While maintaining his commission in the Reserves, John returned to graduate school, where he earned an Electrical Engineering degree at Stanford and an MBA at Santa Clara. For 12 years, John was a consulting engineer with Lockheed Missies and Space Corporation, and he was a longtime member of IEEE, an electronics organization. Once again, John excelled in his chosen field, and his years as an engineer were marked by great accomplishments, including numerous patents and publications in professional and technical journals.</p>
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After moving from his native New England to California, John met a beautiful Irish lady named Joan Ryan, and they soon were married. Shortly afterward, they were joined by a son, Eric. Always a dedicated family man, John spent much of his time with his wife and son. One of his proudest moments came when, on a fishing trip, young Eric landed a 50-pound fish. John and Joan loved music, although John’s buddies teased him about having a “tin ear;” both became big fans of the opera and ballet world of San Francisco. John also took up piano playing.</p>
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In the early 1980’s, John developed a heart problem, requiring a bypass operation. Although weakened, John continued a full life of work, sports, recreation and family activities. In 1991, John’s heart finally gave out. In the company of family, friends and classmates, John was laid to rest at Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Los Altos, California.</p>
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John is survived by his wife Joan; his son, Eric of Los Altos, California; and his sister, Ann Bjorndahl of Fresno, California.</p>
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John’s family and friends remember him particularly for his integrity, loyalty, patience, generosity and great sense of humor. No matter how unpleasant the circumstances, John could always find an element of humor. John was fun to be with, and he refused to abandon his New England accent (“I’ll see you in hahf an hour”).</p>
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You left us too soon, Big John, but we were lucky to know you. We are going to miss you.</p>
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<em>Ed Mendell, ’55, John’s Roommate</em></p>