January 15, 1936 – March 25, 2022

John Gerald Fransen, 86, of Mission Viejo, Calif., passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on March 25, 2022, at Mission Hospital as the result of an intracranial hemorrhage likely related to a fall.

Funeral services were held on April 2 at Fairhaven Memorial in Mission Viejo, and burial followed on April 4 at Cathedral Memorial Gardens in Garden Grove, Calif.

John was born in Chandler, Minn., on January 15, 1936, to Fred and Johanna Fransen. His family moved to Edgerton when he was seven, where he grew up and graduated from high school. John worked from an early age including early mornings before school at the Edgerton Bakery. In addition to work and school John excelled at sports. In high school he scored 1,017 points on the basketball court.  Recruited by professional baseball teams and colleges, he accepted a full sports scholarship at Pepperdine in Los Angeles, Calif. One of the highlights of his college career was twice playing against the then two-time NCAA champions, San Francisco State, and their rising star, Bill Russell. John graduated from college with bachelor and master degrees.

John’s passion for sports continued as a coach and trainer in the early years of his 40-year career as a science teacher in the Anaheim, Calif., school district. He was the kind of coach that brought players home to stay with his family when their own homes were not welcoming.  He was the sort of teacher that enjoyed working with students one-on-one more than standing in front of a classroom.

At Pepperdine, John met his wife-to-be, Dorothy (Dot) Sims. They were married in May 1956 and by March 1960 they had three children; Curt, Craig and Cristi. Nearly 66 years of marriage also led to five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Aside from teaching and coaching during the school year, John, like many teachers, also held down a variety of part-time jobs at night, on weekends and summers. Among others, he captaining the Jungle Boats at Disneyland and working the ticket office at the Angels Stadium. His children enjoyed those places while he worked. It wasn’t all work though. John and Dot were life-long and active members of the Garden Grove Community Church, later the Crystal Cathedral.  He also found time for trips to visit his parents and relatives in Minnesota, camping in Mexico, Canada, and across the West, and hundreds of day trips to the beach.    

After launching his own children and finally retiring, grandchildren and then great-grandchildren became a primary focus. He and Dot also spent months each year traveling by motorhome to visit bucket-list locations and keep in touch with family and friends all over the country.  Water of any sort, particularly the ocean, was a pleasure for John. Boats of any kind, cruises, fishing, beach frisbee, swimming and body surfing made him happy.

While John accomplished much and led a good, full life, his family remembers him for his  selflessness, modesty and generosity.

John is survived by his wife Dorothy, sons Curt (Gwen) Fransen, Boise, Idaho, and Craig (Jeannie) Fransen, San Clemente, Calif., and daughter Cristi (Kevin) Fagan, Mission Viejo, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren across the country.  He is also survived by his beloved sister Mina (Frank) Jouwstra, Luverne, Minn., niece Verla Kuiken, Big Bear City, Calif., and nephews, Glenn (Marilyn) Van Essen, Pipestone, Minn., and Ivan (Diane) Van Essen, Sioux Falls. S.D.

John was predeceased by his parents.