On Wednesday, July 6th, 2022, John Donald Bertsch, loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away at the age of 70.

John was born in Riverside, California to Eugene and Marjorie Bertsch. As a young child, his family moved to Sacramento, a city which, no matter where life took him, he would always call home.

Like his father before him, John dedicated his life to public service. As a teenager, he spent his summers protecting the natural treasures of his beloved home state with the California Department of Forestry. He enlisted in the US Air Force upon graduating from high school and served a tour of duty in Germany as an air passenger specialist before returning to the Reserves, from which he proudly retired in 2011 as a Senior Master Sergeant after 33 and a half years of service. He spent a year as a Volunteer In Service To America (VISTA), supporting the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Program of South Lake Tahoe, Nevada.  The capstone of his career was his 42 years of federal service with the Department of the Army; he retired with distinction in 2020. He held Bachelor's degrees in Political Science and History from California State University - Hayward and Master's degrees in Human Relations and Education from the University of Oklahoma.

Most importantly, John was a devoted husband and father. He and his wife, Kathi, were married on June 21, 1986, and together they created a warm and loving home life rooted in their Catholic faith for their three daughters. He and Kathi both shared a love of travel, which they imparted to their daughters during the 12-plus years they lived abroad.

John was a meticulously keen genealogist with a love for history that quite literally drove him to so many of Europe's grand churches, castles, battlefields, and cemeteries. He could identify the year, make, and model of any classic car in a passing glance. He was known and loved for his kind and gentle demeanor, his conscientious work ethic, and a dry humor that occasionally left the person with whom he was speaking wondering whether he was, in fact, joking.

John is preceded in death by his parents, Eugene and Marjorie.

He is survived by his dear wife, Kathi; his three daughters, Kaitlyn Bertsch (Shaun Vlk), Kirsten Baker (Russell Baker), and Kamryn Bertsch; his sisters, Barbara Rojas (the late Ernesto Rojas and Craig "Tiny" O'Neill) and Maria Bertsch-Brown (Glenn Brown); his granddaughter, Owynne Bertsch; five grandsons, Charles, James, August, Theodore, and John Baker; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A funeral Mass will be held for him at St. Joseph Catholic Parish in Huntsville, Alabama on Wednesday, July 27 at 10:00 a.m. , with visitation at 9:30 .