John R. Condron

Aug. 3, 1948-July 6, 2025

You could tell by his smile that Johnny Condron enjoyed life.

He met his high school sweetheart Kay (Turner) in Santa Barbara when they lived across the street from each other’s families. They were married on December 21, 1968, the winter solstice. They started a tradition of taking a Christmas photo celebrating their anniversary and continued those moments throughout their 56-year marriage.

Born in Amarillo, Texas, he also lived in Canyon, Lubbock and Waco, before moving to Santa Barbara, C A, in 1965. Johnny lived in Santa Barbara for six decades and attended San Marcos High School and Santa Barbara City College. He was an adventurer, hang gliding from the mountain tops in Santa Barbara as one of the pioneers of the sport. He was an artist, a writer and photographer. He was a flooring contractor in the area for over half a century. Johnny grew up in the Methodist Church and enjoyed a relationship with the Lord.

Johnny joined the Army March 6, 1968. He went through basic training at Fort Ord in the San Francisco area and then went to Fort Devens near Boston. After scoring in the top percentage of the Army tests he was assigned to the Army Security Agency in Okinawa, Japan, where Kay then joined him.

He served from 1968-71 as a Spec 5 and was involved in sending and receiving Morse Code and deciphering communications mainly from China and other countries that affected the U.S. war effort.

After his stint in Okinawa, Johnny was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C. where daughter Stacia was born in January 1971. After completing his service in September 1971, the family returned to Santa Barbara, where son Joe was born in October 1973. The years followed with 6 grandchildren, one great granddaughter and another great grandchild on the way

Johnny loved sports, both watching and playing. Johnny led his Waco little league team to the Texas State playoffs many years ago as a pitcher. He also played football in junior high and was a member of the high school golf team.

What he enjoyed most, however, was watching his family play. He wanted all of his “kids” to enjoy sports and many activities he hoped they would encounter. And he’d usually be found at the top of the stands, apart from the crowd, so he could watch everything and take it all in. His daughter Stacia played soccer and was a swimmer in high school. She also kept stats for Joe’s baseball teams. Son Joe played soccer, baseball and basketball and competed in Motocross racing. Johnny would load up the truck with Joe’s and his friend’s bikes and head to Palmdale, Calif., each week for races.

He liked to fish in the California and Texas lakes and on the streams around Creede, CO., where the Condrons built a cabin in the Rocky Mountain foothills and vacationed during many summers. As a gardener around his backyard in Santa Barbara, he grew the best Santa Rosa plums, tomatoes, peppers, corn, green beans and melons on his half acre garden near Highway 101 that benefitted the whole west side of Santa Barbara. He involved the kids and grandkids in these adventures in Grandpa’s Garden.

He loved looking for arrowheads at family reunions at his aunt and uncle’s ranch in Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo. Johnny and his brother Mike would spend hours going over old campsites of the Comanche Indians who summered in the area a century before, looking for arrowheads, spear points and artifacts of all kind.

One of his great joys in life was attending the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984. He got to attend the Opening Ceremonies and swimming events with his family, memories he talked about for many years.

Following his recent retirement he and Kay moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to be near family, including their 2-year-old great granddaughter Allina, who brought him back to feeling young again. He looked forward to sitting on the back porch at their new home with his cup of coffee and greeting the morning sun. He also enjoyed riding his “Lectric” three-wheeler bike in the neighborhood with Allina a few times a week. He would tell anyone who’d listen how smart and beautiful she was. He adored his kids, grandkids and great granddaughter and always made sure they would be successful beyond his wildest dreams. But his greatest love went to his wife Kay and their life together. You could tell by his smile.

Johnny passed away July 6, 2025, in Nashville, TN., surrounded by his family.

In addition to his wife Kay, he is survived by daughter Stacia Dunning, from Smyrna, TN., granddaughters Harper, Hunter (Allina) and grandson Cole; son Joe Condron (Ruane) from Santa Barbara and granddaughters Ember, Raven and Ocean; brothers Bob Condron (Lynnette) from Colorado Springs, CO. and Mike Condron (Laina) from Santa Barbara, CA, and sister Cindi Knight (Rob) from Ventura, CA.

He was preceded in death by his father Stuart Condron, a professor at Ventura College and mother Bobbye Condron, a Senior Escrow Officer from Ventura CA, and sister Janice Mahoney (Clark) from Woodville, TX.

The family will hold private services at a later date.