John Allen Koliha, USMC (ret.), beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully on August 11, 2025, with his wife of 55 years, Mary-Jo (Roth) Koliha, by his side. He was 78.
Born in Denver, Colorado, John spent the majority of his life in Northeast Ohio. Upon graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After his service in Vietnam, for which he was awarded a Purple Heart, he returned to the Cleveland area and graduated from Baldwin Wallace College. He remained active in the BW community, participating in the Institute for Learning in Retirement and playing the euphonium in the New Horizons Band. In recent years, he moved to Washington State to be closer to his children and grandchildren. In addition to his wife Mary-Jo, he is survived by his children Steven (Kristin) of Redmond, WA, Catherine of Seattle, and Melissa of Treasure Island, FL; cherished grandsons, Jack and Nathan; brothers Ralph of Greensboro, NC and Charles of Sagamore Hills, OH; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Robert and Cleva, and siblings Gale, Robert, Lynne, and Patricia.
A funeral Mass will be held on September 22, 2025, at 11:00 AM at St. Jude Catholic Church in Redmond, WA. As a proud Marine, John will be laid to rest in a private burial at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, WA.
The family would like to extend their thanks to the staff at the Washington Soldiers Home for the excellent care provided to John and kindly requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Disabled American Veterans (dav.org) or to the Washington Soldiers Home, 1301 Orting Kapowsin Hwy, Orting, WA 98360.