John Schindele January 26th 1926 - May 27th 2014


John Arthur Schindele passed away the morning of May 27, in Bellevue, at the age of 88. He was born in Bremerton, Washington, on January 26th, 1926, the fourth of five children born to George and Margaret Schindele, who lived on Erland's Point, near Silverdale. John's dad was an officer in the Navy and worked at the Bremerton Naval Shipyard. John went to school at Chico Elementary and Central Kitsap High School, where he excelled at football.


When his dad died of cancer, John joined the Navy, at the age of seventeen, to help the family finances. After boot camp he reported aboard the U.S.S. Johnston, in Seattle. The Johnston eventually made it to the waters off the Philippines to support U.S. landings under the command of General MacArthur. Off the island of Samar in the Leyte Gulf, on October 25, 1944, the task force of "escort" carriers the Johnston was protecting was attacked by a vastly superior Japanese squadron: the Japanese force included 4 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, and 11 destroyers; the U.S. gunships guarding the 6 escort carriers included only 3 destroyers and 4 destroyer escorts.


In the face of these overwhelming odds, the Johnston's captain, Commander Ernest E. Evans, charged his ship toward the main force of the Japanese squadron, while laying a smoke screen to protect the carriers. After evading heavy Japanese fire and returning fire with its smaller guns, the Johnston launched its 10 torpedoes, crippling one heavy cruiser, and diverting other ships from their attack on the task force. After launching its torpedoes, the Johnston was hit by several 14-inch shells, and took numerous other serious hits, destroying an engine room and the bridge. Captain Evans, although seriously wounded by the hits that devastated the bridge, moved command to the fantail, barking orders down a hatch to the after-steering room, where John and another sailor manually operated the rudder after the loss of hydraulics. Despite suffering grievous damage and casualties, the Johnston continued to fight furiously, inflicting substantial damage on the enemy and drawing Japanese attacks away from other U.S. ships.


At last, concentrated fire from enemy guns knocked out the Johnston's remaining engine. With his vessel dead in the water, and all but one of its guns out of action, Captain Evans gave the order to abandon ship. He was not seen again after the Johnston sank. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously -- and no one who knew John in the many years since could miss the high regard in which he held his Captain. The Johnston's fighting spirit and sacrifice helped save most of the carriers of the task force, and convince the Japanese squadron to retreat from the Philippines, rather than press on to wreak havoc in the main U.S. landing fleet.


After the Johnston sank, John would spend 52 hours in the ocean, while many fellow sailors were attacked by sharks or deliriously swam away to their deaths. Near the end of their ordeal he and a fellow sailor, Jim Correll, found one of the Johnston's life rafts, and pulled six other sailors out of the ocean as they awaited rescue.


Following the war, John married his high school sweetheart, Jean Ellis. They moved to Everett and started a family, having a son and daughter. He was in the first class at Olympic Junior College, and then went on to Pacific Lutheran College, where he played football for Coach Marv Harshman.


John's first teaching job was at Lake Stevens High School where he taught math and coached basketball. He went on to teach and coach at Central Kitsap Junior High, before moving to Bellevue in 1961, where he coached at Chinook Junior High, and then became an assistant coach at Bellevue High School.


When the new high school opened at Interlake, John became its first head football coach, and had immediate success, culminating in an undefeated season, and unofficial state championship, in 1970. After taking a couple years off to watch his kid's high school efforts, John returned to coaching in 1974, at Sammamish. The 1975 Totems made it to the state semifinals (losing to the eventual champion, Foss) -- and, on the way, notably snapped the 26-game winning streak of the defending state champions, the Joe Steele-led Blanchet Braves, at Memorial Stadium.


John was a creative coach who loved to take chances. He made football fun to watch and play. He was a fierce competitor, but nothing mattered more to him than players' safety. He never forgot that, when all is said and done, football is just a game; seeing that his teams played fairly, that his athletes conducted themselves honorably, and that they showed respect for their opponents, mattered far more to him than what was on the scoreboard at the end of the game. He was a great wit, a warm, good-humored man who loved his students and players, and loved life in full.


After suffering a heart attack in 1980, John retired from teaching in the public schools, and in semi-retirement accepted a position with the Seattle Seahawks, in which he undertook various responsibilities in the scouting department, which ranged from picking up coaches and draft choices at the airport, to analyzing college game films for prospects. Although John eventually retired from most duties, he continued working Seahawk games through the 2012 season.


John and Jean were married nearly 69 years, and enjoyed traveling to California to see their daughter Jill and granddaughter Jenna, or going to a jazz performance of their grandson Chris.


John was an avid golfer and reader -- sometimes finishing a book a day -- and was the rock at the center of our family. He is survived by his wife Jean, his daughter Jill (Jenna), son John and daughter in law Mary Ann (Chris), brother Bill, sister Pat and brother in law Don. He will be greatly missed.
At his request there will be no services, with suggested donations to either the American Heart Association or Seattle Children's Hospital.