From the pages of
Sublette Examiner
Volume 4, Number 37 - December 9, 2004
brought to you online by Pinedale Online

Obituaries

John Drazovich

John Drazovich, a Rock Springs native, died Dec. 1, 2004, in Palo Alto, Calif., after being ill for a few years.

John was born in Quealy on Oct. 11, 1921, the youngest child of Mike and Barbara Yurasic Drazovich. He graduated from Rock Springs High School in 1940. He worked for the U.S. Geological Survey in Arizona and in the Winton mines before joining the U.S. Navy in early 1942. John proudly served in the Atlantic during World War II. He participated in the D-Day invasion of France in 1944 as an operator of a landing craft.

After WW II, John returned to Rock Springs and worked briefly in the coal mines in Reliance before going to work as an electrician for Gunn-Quealy Coal Company in Quealy. He continued to work at this site for the next 41 years, retiring in 1987 as a maintenance foreman.

John married Eleanor Rohlf on July 1, 1950, at the Chapel of the Transfiguration in Grand Teton National Park. They were married for 54 years. He was a devoted and loving family man and raised two sons, Bob and Steven.

John was an avid Wyomingite and spent much of his life in the Wind River Mountains and surrounding areas. He was a multi-talented handyman and built their entire Rock Springs home himself, where he raised his family. In 1993, John and Eleanor moved their permanent residence to Boulder Lake. They maintained a winter residence in Las Vegas for 10 years before moving to Palo Alto for the winter months in 2003. He devoted much of his time during his retirement to his three grandchildren, Whitney, 12, Spencer, 9, and Logan, 7.

He was a member of the United Mine Workers of America, Operating Engineers, Veteran of Foreign Wars and American Legion.

John is survived by his wife, Eleanor; one son and daughter-in-law, Bob Drazovich and Debbie Tranowski; three grandchildren: Whitney, Spencer and Logan; and "adopted daughter" Judy and husband Mike Hruska.

He was preceded in death by his son Steven, who was killed in a mountain-climbing accident while a student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology; his parents; three sisters, Mary Armstrong, Sylvia Hower and Zora Palmer; brother Steve Drazovich; and one nephew, John Armstrong.


Sarah Chaffin memorial service set

A memorial for Sarah Chaffin will be held Friday, Dec. 10, at 4:30 p.m. The service will take place in the Harrison Grade School at 1825 Alabama Drive in Green River. All are welcome. For directions or more information, please call Angie at 307-875-0225.

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