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John Raukar

Idaho State Journal - 6/1/2018

Early in the morning of May 26, 2018, John Raukar died and I lost the truest of friends. He had been diagnosed with cancer a scant three weeks earlier. John and his wife, Donna, and my wife, Doris, and I had gone to breakfast together barely two weeks ago.

John will be sorely missed by all those you knew him, in all of his many capacities, from here in Pocatello to his origins in Minnesota, from the Green Bay Packer turf, to School District 25 administration, to Century High, to the Idaho’s governor’s office, to the juvenile court and juvenile detention center, to the drug and alcohol lecture circuit, to his friends and associates, and certainly to his home and family.

Here was a no-nonsense man with infinite, kindly compassion, but who saw through hypocrisy and duplicity so fast that it astonished anyone who ever tried to bamboozle him.

My friendship with John started shortly after he came to Pocatello to head up “Dayspring,” a drug and alcohol, in-patient treatment unit at Pocatello Regional Medical Center.

We became fast friends when he coached and was vice principal at the then-new Century High School. My grandson was there at the time.

John was most often found mingling with the students. He seemed to know each and every one of them on a first-name basis, and was always with them in the halls to encourage and help with whatever was needed.

Being a friend and an advocate for the youth of our town, and our entire state, was definitely one of John’s priorities. Our young people just lost a true friend.

A large segment of John’s life was devoted to the care of addicts and alcoholics, with whom he was uncompromising but also extremely fair.

He was one of the country's few experts on dealing with recidivism. He gave seminars and lectures on these and related subjects statewide. Another large group has lost its friend and advocate.

Sports, all sports, were another consuming passion. He loved golf and in spite of knee and back problems he played a terrific game, as his many golf buddies well knew. This group too has lost a great friend.

John will be missed. He was one of the most humane of men, never pretentious and always more than willing to go the “extra mile” for youth and friends.

His manner and approach to life should be emulated by people of every ilk and persuasion; fairness and love were his guidelines.

There is a deep void in my heart and the hearts of all my family, as I am certain there is in the hearts of the many, many people his life touched.

William L. Brydon,

Pocatello