John Henry Jordan

“Tomorrow is promised to no one.” — Walter Payton

John Henry Jordan passed away peacefully Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Lewiston at age 95. He was born April 25, 1928, to Henry and Ellen Jordan in Boise.

John had significant ties to Boise. He and three older sisters grew up there, attending Boise High School. His grandfather, John Othello Jordan, started a construction company that built the original Ada County Airport as well as several local historic buildings, including the Egyptian Theater. The family also owned a farm on the edge of old Boise.

During the Great Depression, John’s father owned an auto body shop in Boise, which led to a life-long love of cars. John raced Midgets as a high school student; woe to the passenger riding with John as he attacked a mountain road in a sports car. He also loved the game of golf.

John married Lucille Campbell in 1951. The marriage was a painful experience for both John and Lucille, resulting in two children before ending in divorce. During the Korean War, he served two years in the Marine First Aid Corp receiving an honorable discharge in 1953. He loved music, graduating from the University of Idaho in 1954 at the age of 26 with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education, voice major. John married Evelyn Ruth Ingle in 1958, a marriage lasting 62 years until Evelyn preceded him in death in March 2020.

A member of the Idaho Music Educators Hall of Fame, John taught music at several schools but dedicated most of his career to students at Nezperce. An excellent tenor, his specialty being the Lord’s Prayer, John sang at countless weddings and funerals; with various choirs, including an opera group at Moscow; and played drums with various bands. He was active in the Lewiston Civic Theater, often directing the orchestra, once singing the lead role of Emile in their rendition of South Pacific. John was a life-long member of the Shriners, Scottish Rite and Masonic Temple, played with the Oriental Band, and sang at their national conventions. At his heart, John was a social animal.

John is survived by his five children: Debra, John, Steve, Henry (Paul) and James as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In spring, the family will publish notice for an informal gathering of remembrance at the Masonic section of the Lewiston Normal Hill Cemetery. Students and friends of John and Evelyn will be welcome to come visit with family.

“For this alone on death I wreak,

The wrath that garners in my heart,

He put our lives so far apart,

We cannot hear each other speak.” — Tennyson