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On March 2, 2006, John Becerra, just two weeks shy of his 35th birthday, lost his second battle with cancer. John left behind his son Jaedyn and the love of his life and mother of their son, Samantha (both pictured left), as well as his mother, father and sister Stephanie. John will be remembered most for his loyalty to his family and friends and for putting everyone else’s needs in front of his, even during his most difficult times in his battle with cancer. John is dearly missed by all who had the pleasure of coming in contact with John throughout his short life on this earth.
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Scott Brotherton
My first memory of John actually was in 2nd grade at Turner Elementary. He was so upset to be there that Linda (his mom) had to come and get him. I didn’t see him again until fourth grade. Looking back, it’s hard to imagine that our brief encounter would lead to such a long-lasting friendship.I remember John driving so many different cars and trucks during his lifetime. He first started with his dad’s 58 Chevy truck. John would take the truck joy-riding without Fred knowing about it. John would roll the truck down the street before starting it so Fred wouldn’t hear him. That should have been a tell-tale sign that he was going to be hell on wheels.
John was passionate about the Kansas City Chiefs. Many of us here attended the games with him. John was always quick to call people during those games to either express his happiness about a great play or express how horrible they were. He told me during my last conversation with him that he was so mad that he never had the opportunity to see his team in the super bowl. Most of us here probably won’t see that happen.
John was an outdoorsman. He loved to fish whenever given the chance. I think John fished with about everyone underneath the sun at least once or twice, and I am pretty sure he fished in about every body of water in both Kansas and Missouri. He fished for about every species of freshwater fish you can think of: crappie, bass, catfish, spoon bill, trout. If it had fins and swam, he was fishing for it.
John also loved hunting deer. He used to travel at night with his spotlight to track their whereabouts. I always found it amusing that one of his favorite spots for hunting was in Pierson Park. He would walk to his stand in the middle of the night during deer season with his bow and arrow.
John was always very particular about how he was dressed and how his hair was styled. He was usually the last person ready to go out because he was too busy primping in front of the mirror. He used to constantly critique me and others about how lame our clothes were. After looking at pictures of all of us from the past, I can’t understand why he didn’t like my plaid shorts with mullet hairstyle.
John worked a few years of road construction after high school but many of us knew that construction wasn’t his true calling. Many of us believed that he was destined to cut hair. Why? He often practiced on the dog and on many of us. He definitely was an artist when it came to cutting and coloring hair. He would take a glance at a person and have a “vision” as how their hair would look best. (I recall him saying to several of his clients, “don’t worry, I know what I am doing.”)
He was very loyal to his entire family. You can’t even measure how much love he had for every one of them, especially his mom, dad, and Stephanie.
o I remember going with John to the Hill Top and Lafonda’s to be with his family for dinner and drinks.
o John loved his Aunt Boo Boo dearly. They had a great bond together. I used to love watching them at the shop giving each other so much grief.
o I remember John’s dad wanting him to scrape the house so it could be re-painted. John conned several of us like Tom Sawyer to help him with the house. It was taking John so long to get it the job completed that Fred (his dad) just rented a pressure washer to remove the old paint.
o I remember playing poker with John’s family and friends every year on Thanksgiving night and I vividly remember Uncle Bob taking home all of our money year after year.
o I remember going to the St. Patty’s Day Parade on his birthday and then going to his mom and dad’s house afterwards to feast on his mom’s tacos and sopa.
He loved Samantha (spouse) with all of his heart. He made it abundantly clear to me how much she meant to him. He was so appreciative that she was there for him during his most challenging times.
August 16, 2003 was the happiest day of John’s life: Samantha gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Jaedyn. I remember John calling me to share his joy and happiness. John loved Jaedyn with his heart and soul. When I first saw the baby, I thought he should have been named mini-me. The baby was huge with the chubbiest cheeks. I thought he looked just like his grandpa Fred.
He cherished his friendships with everyone that he came in contact with over the years. He never discriminated against anyone. No matter how bad his situation, he was always more concerned about his friends instead of his own well-being. For example, he needed rest after we talked the last time. John profusely apologized to me and wanted me to make sure that it wasn’t personal. Also during my last visit, he asked that I celebrate his birthday with my wife by taking a shot of Hornitos (Tequila). He asked that I not drink too much, because he didn’t want Rita and me to get hurt.
Now, I want to share with you some words that help me describe who John Becerra was as a person. I believe dictionaries, in the future, should just have a picture of John next to these words to describe their meanings. It’s just that simple.
Charismatic: He always had a certain charm or allure that would draw you closer to him. He was just so interesting as a person and he could find common ground with anyone (I remember him striking conversations with women at clubs about their hair and what he could do for them – it used to drive me nuts!)
Free spirit: He did things his way on his own terms. He did what made him happy, not necessarily what was more popular or widely accepted.
Fun-loving: When didn’t you have a fun time with John? We all shared so many good laughs with him.
Compassionate: Under the tough-guy exterior, John was a very kind hearted person who was there for his friends in time of need.
Courageous: Nothing else needs to be said.
Perseverance: John was determined to overcome all obstacles and challenges that life threw at him.
Optimistic: John always had a “glass is half full” mentality. No matter how daunting his challenges in life were, he always believed those situations would work out for the best.
Supportive: Even during his own struggles, he always let me know how important it was to see his friends succeed in life. He wanted the best for everyone.
Unpretentious: John never felt compelled to boast about his career or worldly possessions to boost his ego or look more important in other people’s eyes. He was who he was.
Peer-pressure: What??? No matter who you were, John was the best at peer-pressuring you into doing something he wanted to do against your will. John usually got his way.
I think about him every day and miss him dearly.
Scott