More detail on this person: CDR John Michael
Masica, USN (Ret), passed away suddenly and
very unexpectedly on November 9th, 2016.
Born June 29th, 1946, in Trinidad, Colorado, Mike
was a true Navy brat, attending 17 different
schools from Yokosuka, Japan, to Newport, Rhode
Island, up through high school. He graduated from
the United States Naval Academy in 1969 and was
designated a Naval Aviator in 1970 after
completing initial flight training in Pensacola,
Florida.
A skilled helicopter pilot, he served in a variety
of combat, support, and training units flying the
UH-1 Huey, CH-46 Sea Knight, and TH-57 Jet
Ranger helicopters. His operational tours of duty
included a combat deployment to Vietnam with
HAL-3, multiple shipboard deployments spanning
the Western Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and
Mediterranean Sea with HC-3 and HC-6, and
embarked support for United States Marines in
Lebanon as the Assistant Air Officer aboard USS
Inchon (LPH-12). Additional tours of duty included
serving as a helicopter instructor pilot with
HT-8, attending the Naval Postgraduate School as
both a student and later as a staff member, and
serving as Computer Systems Director at the Fleet
Numerical Oceanography Center.
Falling in love with the Monterey peninsula while
attending the Naval Postgraduate School, Mike
returned to Monterey to complete his 20-year Naval
career. After his retirement from active-duty,
Mike continued his service to the nation and
Department of Defense with a 20-year career as a
senior government civilian with the Defense
Manpower Data Center in Monterey, California,
where he led efforts to develop and deploy
innovative technology solutions such as the
Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) to
improve personnel screening and strengthen access
control to better protect DoD installations. In
support of this effort, he traveled to Korea,
Japan, and Iraq to ensure this system met the
needs of America's deployed warfighters.
Mike enjoyed a variety of outdoor pursuits both
natural and man-made. A skilled golfer, he greatly
enjoyed the challenges found among the storied
golf links of Pebble Beach and Carmel Valley. An
experienced hiker and backpacker, he opened up
the wonder of Big Sur, Yosemite, and the Sierra
Nevada mountains to both his family and friends.
An avid hunter, he greatly enjoyed hunting
pheasants among the windswept grasslands of
South Dakota with his former squadron mates,
most recently in October 2016.
Mike was immensely proud of his family and he is
survived by his wife of 40 years, Denise Masica;
his father, CAPT Gene Masica, USN (Ret); his
sister and brother-in-law, Kate and Pat Maley; his
daughter and son-in-law Jenni and Ben West and
their children, Sam and Abby; his son, CAPT Mike
Masica, USN, daughter-in-law, Leigh Wierichs, and
their children, Michael and Franka; his daughter
and son-in-law, Stephanie and Mason Brawley and
their daughters, Piper and Mary; and his nephews,
Christopher and Andrew.
Over a long and distinguished 40-year career with
the Navy and Department of Defense, Mike never
wavered in his duty to the nation he loved so much
and he leaves a lasting legacy of honorable
service, dedication, and selfless sacrifice. He
will be long remembered for his keen wit and sense
of humor and for the profoundly positive impact he
had on those who had the honor of knowing and
loving him.
Arrangements under the direction of The Paul
Mortuary, Pacific Grove, CA.
This information was last updated 03/04/2017
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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