John Chandler Propstra

John Chandler Propstra was born on January 18, 1972 in Phoenix, Arizona and died peacefully on January 7, 2024 at age 51.

 John spent his childhood being very active trying all types of sports and in a home full of laughter and love. Laughing was probably his favorite thing to do and he could turn anything into a game and his two sisters, Christy and Katy, made this easy to do. He was always ready and looking for a new adventure to make sure there was never a dull moment. The three of them created some of the best jokes a family will never forget. John was fearless and spent many summers cliff jumping and body surfing the enormous waves in Laguna Beach at three arch bays with his sisters and he went canyoning in the Swiss Alps in his early 20s with his sister Christy. Speaking of legendary trips, one he could never stop talking about was the Spain trip he and his sisters and cousins, Sara, Neil, & Susie, took in 1992 for the Summer Olympics.

With the loving support of his parents Carol Gay and John Arthur Propstra, he attended Brophy College Prep in Phoenix, Arizona. He then went on to play baseball for his entire college career and graduated from Menlo College in 1994. John went to a multitude of universities and even the Navy, because one has “to try every flavor” which applied to a lot of things in his life, including frequent frozen yogurt stops with his three kids, Alex, Ava, and Aubrey.

John loved coaching Alex in baseball in the backyard and buying him new gear every time he tried a new sport. John would always go to a multiple of Ava’s theater performances, where he would sit in the top balcony away from everyone so he could make funny gestures to his daughter on stage, so she would find him every time (not that he was hard to miss). John loved attending Aubrey’s badminton games, and cherished the special time they had together during their daddy daughter dates while the other two attended college.

In December of 2022 John was diagnosed with glioblastoma and handled this disease with a positive attitude, great sense of humor and continued zest for life and adventure. His enthusiasm was contagious to all of us around him. He spent his final days playing lots of golf with his Dad and pickleball with his Mom. He is survived by his parents, Carol Gay and John A. Propstra and stepmother Julie Propstra and Aunt Diane Willian.

John knew how to live a vibrant and colorful life full of song and laughter. Although he was on this planet a lot shorter than a lot of us would’ve liked, he lived a thousand lifetimes.

The family would like to thank all his friends who supported him during this time.

Contributions can be made to Menlo College (Office of Alumni Engagement and Development) 1001 El Camino Real Atherton, California 94027, or Barrow Neurological Institute. Funeral services are private.