"John was part of my team since the day I joined Sea-Bird Scientific in 2022. I feel truly fortunate to have had the chance to work with him and get to know him. He carried himself with a quiet strength and steadiness that I always admired. To me, John was more than just a co-worker. He always brought a calm & thoughtful presence to the shop, and that made a big difference given all the complex problems we tried to solve with his help. In all my prior experiences of working with machinists, being calm, composed, and compassionate in the most trying situations is a rare quality?one he had naturally. John was the kind of person who would stay late to make sure the job was done right, even when the task came to him at the last minute. This is truly a personal loss for me, and he will be deeply missed. My thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with his family and loved ones. ? Rehan"
In loving memory of
John William Gentleman
July 19, 1968 - February 22, 2026
John was born July 19 1968 in Seattle and passed on Feb 22 2026 after a brief challenging battle with cancer.
John is preceded in death by his father Jim Gentleman and survived by his mother Patty Gentleman, aunts Debbie Lindgren, Kathy Patton, brother from another mother, Chris Welter, uncles Harley Holt, Bill Walters, cousins Kathy Jenness, Karrie Driscoll all who became part of his care team as well as several other cousins, uncles, aunts and good friends. John also had 2 step children from a prior marriage he helped raise during that time.
Motivated by Chris, John put himself through school and became a respected machinist who enjoyed his work and worked hard all his life. Most recently he became an expert at working with computer aided design tools including Solidworks and 3D printing to create products for marine monitoring applications at Seabird Scientific. It has been heart-warming to get all the kind, supportive words and help from his family at Seabird. The words that come to mind in describing Johnny are respect, trustworthy, responsible, independent, peacemaker, caring, sensitive, patient, leader, role model, strong in body and strong in mind.
John enjoyed the outdoors, mountains and sports.
The last few months we had with John it was fun to learn of some of the mischief and good- natured shenanigans he got into in his youth, now that enough time has passed to make it funny. During a very hard time, we were able to enjoy lots of laughs as well.
John will be deeply missed, gone too soon with a lot left to give We ask others to help John keep his spirit alive by sharing a memory or story about him every now and then. Also, we encourage people to include stories and photos on the memorial page.
There will be a celebration of life April 18 2026, 1:00PM at Renton Technical College.
Tributes
"John joined Sea-Bird Scientific in 2022 as our R&D machinist, stepping into a role that came with significant challenges. He was taking over for a machinist who had been with the company for more than two decades, inheriting a shop with aging equipment, limited documentation, and a long list of work waiting to be done. From the beginning, John approached the situation with remarkable professionalism and composure. No matter the circumstances, John was always cool, calm, and collected. Urgent requests, last-minute design changes, and complex one-off parts were simply part of the job to him, and he handled them with quiet confidence and good humor. His talent as a machinist was evident in everything he did, but just as important was the positive attitude he brought to the team every day. John was incredibly friendly, generous with his time, and a pleasure to work with. He quickly became a trusted partner to the engineers and scientists around him, and his craftsmanship played an important role in many of the projects we pursued over the past few years. He was an extremely skilled machinist, a hard worker, and a fantastic colleague. More than that, he was a steady and positive presence in our group. John was a key part of our team, and his absence will be deeply felt. He will be sorely missed. Rob"
"My path with John only crossed recently but his kindness, quick wit and mischievous smile made an impact I will carry with me. John had a gift for making people feel seen and turning ordinary moments brighter. I saw how he mentored and taught those around him even as he battled a relentless enemy. He will be missed but he will not be forgotten. Sending my deepest condolences to his family and friends and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. John - may you rest peacefully, and may your memory live on through the smiles you shared. Laura V"
"We were honored John chose to stay with us these last few months, and it feels empty now that he is gone. I hope his pup Willhe and I added some help or support to try to keep a normal as possible lifestyle for John and not add too much extra grief. I know Debbie did her part and John and I are both proud of her for that. Condolences to Patty the many friends and family that supported John during his illness, it?s clear he had a profound effect on many. Watching John deal bravely and strongly with this merciless disease was inspirational, John is truly a great man gone too soon. A life is more than a heartbeat, the spirit and legacy remains and part of John?s spirit will always be at home here with us."