Helmut John Rybij
10/10/1942 – 03/19/2025

John Rybij of Coupeville, died peacefully on March 19, 2025, at the age of eighty-two. John was a resident of Regency Memory Care in Oak Harbor during the last three months of his life where he received loving care, and his wife visited him daily.

John was born on October 10, 1942, in Cham, Germany during WWII. When he was seven years old his family immigrated to the United States, and John grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He moved to the Silicon Valley and worked as a test engineer for several companies until he was 65 and then moved to Coupeville, WA, where he lived for eighteen years.

John was an avid tennis player and hoped to continue playing during his retirement. He gradually lost the ability to play his favorite sport due to Parkinson’s disease, which he had for twenty-two years. He regularly attended events at the Oak Harbor Senior Center and led a Wii Bowling group there for fifteen years.

John is survived by his wife Christine Bower, brother; Lou Rybij (Sherry), sons: John Rybij, Jr. (Corinne), Vince Rybij (Trina), stepson; Gary Blacksmith (Mandy), seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

A celebration of Life will be held at the Coupeville Methodist Church on May 1, 2025, at 1:00 PM.