John Benjamin Wilhoit – San Diego Union-Tribune

John Benjamin Wilhoit

OBITUARY

May the wind under your wings bear you

where the sun sails and the moon walks.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, John, a lifelong sailor, set forth on his last adventure. He died peacefully at his “forever home” – the downtown condo he and his wife, Sandee, shared for 24 years.

John was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the second child of Jack and Beryl Mae Wilhoit. He graduated from Point Loma High School, and went on to earn his BA from UCSD and an MA in Urban Planning from San Diego State. John’s career was spent working for the City of San Diego, from where he retired in 2006 as a Senior City Planner.

From a young age, John loved sailing around Mission Bay, and as a youth enjoyed racing out of the Mission Bay Yacht Club, where his name is inscribed on a perpetual trophy. Nearly every Saturday, when the temperature was at least 70 degrees, he and Sandee would be out on the bay sailing his catamaran. That would most often be followed by a Padres game, as he was also an ardent Padres fan and season ticket holder.

John loved the beach, watching sports, traveling, listening to his LP collection and watching old Western re-runs on TV. When they weren’t enjoying all the events in the Gaslamp, John and Sandee enjoyed traveling to their favorite haunts – Borrego Springs, Hawaii, Santa Fe and Cuba.

John’s dry sense of humor and clever mind will be greatly missed. He was a generous and talented man, who loved the environment and would always help out someone in need.

John is survived by his wife, Sandee, and three grown stepchildren – Scott, Erin and Robb. He is pre-deceased by his mother, father, and sister, Pam.

No services are planned, as per his wishes.