Remembering John Yard, Dedicated Sierra Club Volunteer & Activist

John William Yard, 71, of Sunland, California died at home with his family on February 2, 2020. John was born in New York City and graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College in Cleveland, Ohio with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He moved to Los Angeles in 1972 and spent his career as a systems administrator for Von’s corporate headquarters, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo; Union Bank; Sony Pictures; and UCLA.

John was an avid hiker, back packer and conservationist. He was a member of the Crescenta Valley Group of the Sierra Club and served as a past chair, Political Committee rep, Conservation Committee rep and executive Committee rep.When the Angeles Golf Club proposed building in Sunland, he was very involved in efforts to preserve the Tujunga Wash. He also worked on a campaign to close the Lopez Canyon Landfill when he was the president of the Lakeview Terrace Homeowners Association. He also worked on efforts to prevent the Oakmont 5 housing development in Glendale and was a member of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council Safe Traffic and Transportation Committee. He was also an outings leader for the Sierra Club for backpacking and hiking in the Angeles Forest and other locations in California. He was  an instructor in the Wilderness Travel Course (WTC). Whatever John believed in, he gave 1000% of himself to.

John leaves a wife, Cathy Kissinger of Sunland; a daughter, Jessica Mandell of Albuquerque, New Mexico; a brother, Jay Yard of Brentwood, California; and a sister, Margaret Yard of New York City. He was preceded in death by his parents, Job and Anne Marie Yard of Illinois.

John was a kind and generous human being and well respected in his field. A celebration of his life will be scheduled at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, anyone who so desires is encouraged to make a donation to the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club in Los Angeles.