Longtime Lompoc resident, John D. Halfhill died on January 14, 2022, in Prescott, Arizona.

John was born on January 27, 1924, in Bronaugh, Missouri, and grew up in Pittsburg, Kansas. There, he attended high school played football and Pittsburg State University (PSU), earning a letter in football before entering the service his freshman year. John served in the U.S. Army (40th Field Hospital) during WWII and helped set up the first mobile hospital on Utah Beach after D-Day.

After returning stateside, he re-enrolled at PSU, meeting the love of his life, Kay Laurel Harris. They were married on Thanksgiving Day in 1947 and stayed married until his death. After he graduated, they moved to Oklahoma where he began working on oil wells, where he was instrumental in the process of fracking. They eventually moved to Abilene, Texas where he continued his oil well work until 1960 when he entered the aerospace business at Dyess AFB.

In 1963, John moved his family to Lompoc, where he worked at Vandenberg AFB on the Thor, Titan, M/X missile, and Space Shuttle programs. He retired from Lockheed-Martin in 1990. After retiring, John served on the Board of Habitat for Humanity and helped build four homes in Lompoc and Santa Maria.

John was a man of faith and was a longtime member of the Lompoc United Methodist Church. He had been in the Yucatan building a church for a village and he also did the same at an Indian Reservation in Arizona. John also was a consistent blood donor, having donated 18 gallons over his time in Lompoc. He taught Bible study at his church for 14 years and he was a volunteer at the Lompoc Food Pantry for 12 years.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Archie P. Halfhill and Nora Pet Halfhill (Sumners), his sister, Doris Whitney (Halfhill) and a son, John D. Halfhill, Jr. John is survived by his wife Kay now of Mesa, Arizona, his son Joel Halfhill (Pam) of Meridian, Idaho, daughter Laurel (Laurie) Fagg (Michael) of Mesa, Arizona, four grandchildren Ashley Halfhill of Edmond, Oklahoma, Lindsey Halfhill of Los Angeles, California, Michele McAllister (Michael) of Tonopah, Arizona and Stephen Gorman (Karin) of Gilbert, Arizona, three great-grandchildren, Penny and Joshua Gorman of Gilbert, and Maddox McAlister of Tonopah, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A private grave site burial with military honors will be at the Lompoc Cemetery. A Memorial service will be held on March 12, 2022, at 1:00pm at the Lompoc United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family would ask that contributions in John's honor be sent to the Honor Flight Central Coast of California - info@honorflightccc.org.