More detail on this person: Born in the coal mining town of Wombwell, Yorkshire, England to Marion {Penfold) and WGS Maxwell, MO, John is survived by his wife Gwen (Aldrich) Maxwell,Carlton,WA; son, John C. A.Maxwell, Everett WA;brother-in-law Richard,nephews Daniel and Dale Aldrich, Pasco, WA; sister-in-law JoAnn Martin, Susanville, CA. He is also survived by brother, William A. Maxwell, MD Sunbury, Western Australia; sisters Marion (Maxwell) Longden and Joanne (Maxwell) Watts, England; many nephews, nieces,grand-nieces and nephews. John grew up playing sports including cricket, climbing trees, archery, rugby, track,soccer, and squash. This interest continued through his adult life into his 60's when he decided his squash days were over. He then took up golf while in New Zealand. He began his formal education at St. Peters School,York {1949- 57). His medicalschool training was at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (1957-63);and his internship at St. Mary's Hospital in Saginaw, Michigan (1964). While in Saginaw, he was drafted as a Captain into the US Army and served as a fiight surgeon 1965-66 in the 119'" Helicopter Assault Company, Pleiku, Republic of Vietnam. From there he was stationed at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA. He joined the US Air Force Reserves in 1967 and was honorably discharged as a Lt. Colonel in 1992. He completed his radiology training at the University of Virginia (1967-70) and was accepted into the American Board of Radiology in 1971. In 2014 he was named a Fellow in the Royal Austra lian and New Zealand College of Radiology. John was a man of many interests including all things transportation. These interests were fostered by his life experiences: he new from the UK to Ireland as a young child on the De Havilland Rapide; traveled by rail throughout Europe and the Middle East as a teenager {always with his trusted US$5.00 bill because the US$ was king!); emigrated to the United States on the Queen Mary; flew helicopter missions in Vietnam; drove across the US multiple times; and got married at sea off the coast of the Dominican Republic. As an historian,he often had insights into rather obscure details of history that shone light on more contemporary issues. His passion was reading; he loved travel logs from the 19'" and early 20'" century, the American Civil War, WWI and II. His library is filled with books on ships, planes, automobiles and American art. He loved not only to read about and attend cars shows,but over the years owned many cars dating from the 50's to the 90's. John was also an amazing raconteur. It seemed there was never a situation that did not bring an anecdote to mind. His stories were filled with persona l experiences and his very British sense of humor. Listeners would go away smiling and/or shaking their heads. Dr.Maxwell's professional radiology career began in 1970 with fellowships at Providence Hospital, and US Public Health Service Hospital in Seattle. He was a consulting radiologist in Spokane from 1972-74; then joined a small Seattle Radiology group providing service to Ballard Community Hospital,now Swedish Medical Center-Ballard and Cascade Valley Hospital, Arlington. John's April 2010 retirement from Cascade Valley Hospital was very short lived. In July 2010,he accepted a radiology position in a small town in New Zealand. His New Zealand tenure was subsequent ly shortened with the March 2014 diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. With aggressive chemotherapy, he achieved a remission lasting until mid-August 2018. Unsurprisingly, in 2015, he approached Three Rivers Hospital,Brewster, WA and offered his radiology consulting services. Both parties welcomed the relationship and regretted its premature ending. He met his wife, Gwen, in 1974; they spent the next 31 years getting to know each other. In January 2006 they formalized their long-standing relationship while on a Caribbean cruise to the Dominican Republic. Note: John consistently maintained that he had been shanghaied, held for ransom, and the marriage service was without his knowledge, understanding or consent as it was in Spanish. John was an incredibly generous individual from providing financial support to his family,friends and various fledgling businesses to sharing his medical expertise. He embraced all opportunities to pass on his wide-ranging professional experience, be it to family,friends, radiology technicians, medical residents, or professional colleagues. A graveside service is being held at the Beaver Creek Cemetery in Twisp, WA at 1:00 P.M. Saturday,December l", 2018. Precht-Harrison-Nearents Chapel of Okanogan I Twisp is taking care of the arrangements.
Burial information: Beaver Creek Cemetery
This information was last updated 12/26/2018
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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