John D. Sundburg

John Dean Sundburg, 90, of Priest River, Idaho, passed away May 2, 2016. Born in West Springfield, John was the son of Edward and Anna Sundburg. He was a Springfield Classical High School graduate and later moved to Longmeadow. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force for two years and was honorably discharged in July 1946. After graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, in 1950, John landed a job at Fisk (Uniroyal) in Chicopee Falls where he met and married his wife, Doris Taillefer. In 1960, John joined American Optical, working as a lab manager. He subsequently worked for Coburn Optical in Colonial Heights, VA. Upon retirement John returned to Massachusetts, first living in Wilbraham and then moving to Southwick. Always a voracious reader, John became an avid short story writer and his pieces were frequently published in local papers. His wife Doris died in 2005. John leaves a son, Alan, from Arlington, VA, and a brother, Edward, of Rockwood, ME. In 2008, he met Marjorie Vannatter, also a graduate of Classical High School, who was living in Idaho. They became good friends, and John decided to move west. He loved Idaho�s mountains, trees and slower pace of life and was happy to have made the move. A memorial gathering will be held on Sat., May 21, 5:30�7:30 pm, at the Toomey-O�Brien Funeral Home, 1043 Westfield Street, West Springfield. Contributions may be made in John�s memory to the West Bonner Library District, Priest River Branch, 118 Main Street, Priest River, ID 83856, or to the American Heart Association.