John R. Wolthuis

JOHN R. WOLTHUIS, 86, of Little Rock, Ark., went to be with his Lord on Friday, April 19, 2013. He was born in Oak Park, Ill., and was raised in Lombard, Ill., where his father lost his gas station in the Great Depression, then moving the family to Seymour, Mo. He was drafted by the Army straight out of high school, serving in the Korean War. He was a son of the late George and Hattie Wolthuis; he was also preceded in death by his brothers, George and Donald. John was retired from AT&T, after 44 years of service. He was an avid gardener and raised bonsais. He also enjoyed landscaping. His family remembers him as an adventurous man who loved to travel and interact with other people. John was a patient man and a good listener, and his children say he was a great father. He really enjoyed learning new things, taking stained class and art classes. He was a very crafty carpenter, having converted his attic into a master bedroom; and a family room converted from a porch. Mr. Wolthuis loved classical music, operas. In high school, he played violin. Later in life he learned to play the guitar, and joined a band. He is survived by his wife of over 55 years, Helen Wolthuis; his sons, Mark Wolthuis and wife Linda, Stephen Wolthuis, John F. Wolthuis; and his daughter, Janet Wolthuis Newton, all of Little Rock. Funeral service is scheduled for 1 p.m., Tuesday, April 23, 2013, in the chapel of Griffin Leggett Healey & Roth, 501-661-9111. Burial will follow in Pine Crest Memorial Park. Please send the family your messages of love, comfort and support to www.griffinleggetthealeyroth.com. Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Arkansas, alzark.org/help/donate.html.