John Alvin Trobaugh

John Alvin Trobaugh was born in Phoenix, Arizona on February 24, 1941. He was the middle child of three born to James Tyree and Wiona Trobaugh. The family made their home in Young (Pleasant Valley), Arizona until the late 1950’s when they relocated to Globe. John attended Young Public Schools and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in December 1958. He served on active duty aboard several naval ships in and around San Diego, California. His duty assignments included being a gate guard and laundry attendant aboard a sub tender until December 1962. He retuned home to Globe, but continued to serve in the reserves until December 1964. Before and after his active Naval service, John built fences and snow barricades as well as assaying land in the northwest near Snoqualmie, Washington with two long-time friends and business associates. In 1964, he met and married Joan Fix in Globe. Together, they had three children. From 1963 to 1969, John worked for Cities Service Company (Sleeping Beauty Mine) as a haul truck driver. In 1969, John decided he wanted to explore the life of a dairy farmer, so he packed up his wife and two daughters, who were 2 and 4 years old at the time, and moved the family to Arkansas to work with his brother-in-law to milk cows, grow corn and raise chickens. After six months of the grueling farm responsibilities, John decided that he’d rather work in the copper mines or try his hand at something else. After returning to Globe in 1970, and working at the mine for a brief time, he and his brother Roy, bought and began operating their father’s printing business, Tyree’s Printing Service. After a short period, John and his wife, Joan, purchased Roy’s half of the business and continued to operate the business for 28 years. After his wife passed away in January 1999, John retired from the printing business and married his current wife, Jean Sterkenburg, in February 2000. He spent his time gardening with his wife and renovating their home. In addition, John and his brother, Roy, founded Rocks by Nature to satisfy their love of rocks and minerals. Within a few years, they began to expand their business to include copper splash, creating beautiful copper art pieces which have been displayed and sold all over the country. John enjoyed rock hunting, collecting old bottles and rusty junk, hunting and fishing, prospecting, camping, building things, fixing cars and items around the house, making homemade ice cream, baking sugar cookies, and especially making people laugh. John was a likeable man and a friend to many. He passed away at the Southern Arizona Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Tucson. He is survived by his wife Jean, two daughters, Lorie Williams (Andy) of Glendale and Sherry Borgnaes (Ed) of Cochise, and son, Scott Trobaugh (Brenda) of Young; four step-children, Harvey Sterkenburg of Globe, Jimmy Sterkenburg of Mesa, Mark Sterkenburg of Tempe, and Anita Spencer of Pinetop. In addition, he has thirteen grandchildren and one great-grandson. He is also survived by his mother, Wiona; sister, Avis Cooper; and brother, Roy Keith (Alice) all of Globe. There are also several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews who will miss his amazing sense of humor and generous spirit. Memorial services will be held on Sat. May 16, 2015 at 11:00 A.M. at Trinity Baptist Church in Globe, AZ