MADDEN, John Cowles

Vistoso Funeral Home, Oro Valley, Arizona John C. Madden September 6, 1940 - February 22, 2013 Ret. Col. John C. Madden September 6, 1940 – February 22, 2013 Retired Colonel John Cowles Madden died peacefully on February 22, 2013 at the age of 72. He was born September 6, 1940 in Cincinnati Ohio, the son of Charlotte Josephine Cowles and John Sidney Madden. By the age of 2, he had traveled through 38 of the 48 states of the Union at that time (Alaska and Hawaii hadn’t been admitted yet). In 1964, John graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in mechanical engineering and married the love of his life Barbara Jean Savery on July 17. In October of 1964, John joined the Air Force and attended Maintenance School, graduating 1st in his class. His first assignment was in Bangor Maine where he was a squadron commander as a 1st Lieutenant. Next, he attended the University of Illinois, earning his Master’s Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Making major, John did a one year tour in Vietnam from 1969-1970 where he was in charge of keeping air force planes operational. Now stationed in Houghton Michigan, his first daughter, Kathryn Elizabeth Madden was born May 14, 1971. John served as the Commandant of Cadets at the Michigan Tech University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where his second child Jodee Charlotte Madden was born February 20, 1973. Next, John was stationed at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma in charge of reworking and rearranging the maintenance facility, and his third child was born, John Savery Madden February 22, 1977. While in Oklahoma, John won outstanding maintenance officer of the year. Next John attended air and command staff school in Montgomery Alabama. Soon after, he was moved to Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton Ohio where he was the Field Maintenance Squadron Commander, moving on to be the Chief Engineer for the F-16 and Maverick Missile. Next was Washington, DC where he worked the budget for System’s Command and other projects. While there in 1986, he and Barb began their Marriage Encounter journey. It was their ministry for over 20 years and they became the National Executive Lay Couple for Marriage Encounter and Engaged Encounter United Methodist. His final station in the Air Force was once again Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton Ohio where he was the Chief Engineer of Programs working on his signature air craft, the B-1 Bomber. He finished his career in the Air Force as the Chief Engineer for Systems Command (the last officer to hold the job) and retired a Full Colonel in 1992. Leaving the air force, John went on to work as the chief engineer for Rockwell Aerospace which later became Boeing in Tulsa Oklahoma and worked on the Space Shuttle doors and various other Air force Planes. In 2000 he retired from Boeing and taught for a time at Tulsa University as an adjunct professor of mathematics for 1 ½ years. In 2002, John and Barbara moved to Tucson Arizona settling in Saddlebrooke. They met many wonderful friends, joined the Vista church where John sang in the choir, helped and eventually led the stewardship drive, did the newsletter and all around enjoyed life and the people around him. He had many hobbies, foremost his love of model trains where he had a dedicated room and a backyard of fully realized track. He lived an adventurous life, was a wonderful husband, and an all-around good man. He is survived by his wife Barbara, three children (Katie, Jodee and Johnny) and four grandchildren (Charlotte, Cole, Cora, and Johnathyn). He is sorely missed and forever loved.