Master Chief Petty Officer (Retired) John Baxter was born in Blue Rapids, Kansas, in 1932 and died July 14, 2016. He grew up in Vermillion, Kansas. In high school he played all sports but excelled in football. Each summer during high school, John drove a combine with a harvest crew on its annual pilgrimage north from Kansas to North Dakota.

In 1951, he enlisted in the Navy and became a Navy Corpsman. He was assigned to the Marine Corps, which relies on the Navy Medical Services. He was assigned to the Korean-operated Shin-Hay Medical Center, and also served with Marine Corps units deployed in Korea. He served at El Toro MCAS, in Oakland, and in San Diego.

He served a tour with the 3rd Marine division at Okinawa, then a tour with the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Washington D.C. before relocating to San Diego for his final assignment as Master Chief of the Command at the Navy School of Health Sciences at the Naval Hospital in San Diego. While in Okinawa, John married a lovely lady named Tomiko Kinjo Baxter, and became the proud father of Yoshihiko Baxter. He retired from the Navy in 1977.
John went to work at National University as a counselor, and later as Associate Dean. While at the University, he earned a bachelor's degree, and three Master's degrees. He met his current wife, Evelyn, at a professional educator's conference in Sacramento. They were married for 30 years. As a couple, they enjoyed square dancing and are long-time sponsors of the Lompoc Pops Orchestra.

John became a Mason in early 1958. He joined the Scottish Rite while stationed in Taiwan. Going through the Scottish Rite degrees with the Chinese was an experience that John cherished. While serving in Okinawa, he became a Shriner. He received the Hiram Award in 2015 at the Lompoc-Santa Ynez Lodge #262.

John is survived by his wife, Evelyn, his son, Yoshihiko, his "daughter" Beverly (Adam) Wilson, and his grandchildren: Tori, Jessica and Adam. He is also survived by Evelyn's children Mark, Shirley and Larry, his sister Harriet Woodyard of Manhattan, Kansas and many relatives and good friends in the Lompoc area.

A memorial service will be Tuesday, July 19th, 2016, 10:00 am at Starbuck-Lind Mortuary. Final interment will be at Miramar National Cemetery at a later date.