John Lars Bergquist

John Lars Bergquist was born October 4, 1969, in Baker, Oregon, to Ronald Bailey Bergquist and Amy Sue (Sherman) Bergquist. John's siblings are Mark (and Sherie) Bergquist, Laurie (and Kevin) Adams, Bart (and Linda) Bergquist, Sabrina (and Eric) Walters, and Rebecca Bergquist. After graduating from Sunset High School in Beaverton in 1987, John attended Oregon State University, earning two bachelor’s degrees in Fisheries & Wildlife and Social Sciences. In June of 1996, John’s sister Sabrina set him up on a blind date with Kristine Ann Stronach. The two fell in love quickly and were married on June 21, 1997, exactly one year after they met. John and Kristine settled in Corvallis and started a family, welcoming a son, John August, and a daughter Natalie Ann, two years apart. The family then moved to McMinnville where they lived for about five years. In 2017, they were presented with an opportunity to live abroad and the family headed to China, where John and Kristine taught English for about six months. After that, wanting their now high school-aged kids to graduate at Cascade High School, the family returned to Oregon and settled in the town of Turner. John was an incredibly loving man, always putting others ahead of himself. He was a very devoted father, always attentive and present with his children. As a follower of Christ, he truly lived out what he believed. He was gracious and forgiving, always putting love and relationships at the forefront of all his pursuits. John was a connector of people, and made many deep and lasting relationships. He was also a storyteller and a writer, and one of the three founders of Soma Games in Newberg, Oregon. He was part of the Bootcamp NW, a ministry formed in response to the John Eldredge’s Wild At Heart conference by Ransomed Heart Ministries . Most recently, John and his family have been a part of the South Salem Church of the Nazarene.  John’s greatest passion was living for God and always choosing the path of love in his interactions with any and everyone he came across. On July 26, 2020, John’s earthly life was tragically cut short by a fatal car accident, but his legacy of ministry continues still. John is survived by his wife of 23 years, Kristine; parents Ron and Amy, children John August and Natalie; siblings Mark Bergquist, Laurie Adams, Bart Bergquist, Sabrina Walters, and Becky Bergquist, and numerous nieces and nephews. Due to COVID-19 guidelines, the Memorial Service is by invitation, but please join us online Saturday, August 22, at 1 pm. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SomaGames/live/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/SomaGames https://withjoy.com/johnbergquistmemorial/welcome