Obituary

John Royce Money "Johnny"
1982-2018

John Royce Money "Johnny," age 35, went to be with God on February 2nd 2018. Johnny was a movie and pop-culture expert, foodie, and accomplished musician and intellectual- as well as a husband, father, son, grandson, brother, friend, teacher, and summer school principal.

Johnny entered this world on August 31, 1982 in Bakersfield, Ca. During his lifetime, he accomplished many of his life goals. He went to college and earned a Bachelor's Degree in History with a Minor in Economics, then he went on to attain a Master's Degree in Education Administration. He married the love of his life, Stacy, whom he had two daughters with, and the two of them traveled to Italy, Alaska, and Washington DC. Johnny secured a job at his middle-school alma mater, Beardsley, as a History Teacher, Healthy Kids Coordinator, President of the Teachers Union, and Summer School Principal.

Johnny's two priorities in life were family and God. As his girls were growing up, Johnny would do quirky, funny things to make his young daughters laugh- such as dress in an Olaf-onesie for Halloween, wear ridiculous themed shirts from movies like "Elf," and take the girls to see Disney movies such as Beauty and the Beast. The girls in turn adored their dad and even served as his "nurses" when he got sick with the rare and fatal disease Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Johnny attended church at Canyon Hills where he served many roles including playing for the worship band. He would also play the Bass Guitar with his cover bands and service venues such as Stockdale Country Club and Ethel's Corral. He would play and listen to music from all genres such as Nirvana, Gospel, Spanish Music, and Willie Nelson. He always made time for family (including extended family) for trips to fairs, zoos, museums, and theme parks.

The main thing Johnny's family and friends will miss about him is his loving, gentle, selfless, witty, and giving spirit. Johnny was a genuinely good person who never said a mean word or performed a mean act (unless he was insulting his brother with a ridiculous word he found from the dictionary or scaring off his older sister's potential suitors by spraying them with deodorant). Heaven truly gained an angel when Johnny passed, and those of us left on this earth will sorely miss him until we meet again.

Johnny is survived by his maternal grandparents, Royce Hawthorne and Lydia Hawthorne (Holman); parents, John Money and Connie Money (Hawthorne); wife, Stacy Money (Prickett); daughters, Julianne Money (age 7) and Reese Money (age 5); siblings, Denise Fahey (Money) and her husband Paul Fahey, and James Money and his wife Shaena Money (Sweeney); mother-in-law Terri Prickett and her late husband Greg Prickett, and numerous nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends- including Johnny's lifelong best friend Michael Kitts, and in-laws. He is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents James "Richard" Money and Julia Money (Wendt).

A Celebration of Life is scheduled for Sunday, February 11, 2018 at 2:00pm at Canyon Hills Church in Bakersfield Ca. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to the Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County (ADAKC) at 4203 Buena Vista Road, Bakersfield, CA. 93311.

Published in Bakersfield Californian on Feb. 6, 2018