John E. Yallech 1934-2025

John is survived by his husband, Jeffrey Yellen, of Rancho Mirage; a sister, Mary Yallech Germanovich of Belpre; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

John was born in Struthers and came from a close-knit, loving family of eight children. His early years were shaped by this strong family bond.

John began his career as an usher at the Palace Theater in Youngstown, where he proudly boasted of having seen over 200 screenings of “Sunset Boulevard.”

John served in the Army at Port Townsend, Washington, before moving to Santa Monica, California, driven by his love of surfing and the sun. In Santa Monica, he briefly worked for Douglas Aircraft on the assembly line for the famous DC-3 aircraft. During this time, he attended California State University, Northridge, earning a degree in archaeology.

A passionate real estate enthusiast, John purchased his first home in Westlake Village, California, and later acquired a small apartment complex in Brentwood. Many of his tenants were nurses working at the nearby UCLA Hospital, and they adored John for his kindness and generosity.

John’s professional journey led him to System Development Corporation (SDC), a spin-off of the Rand Corporation, also based in Santa Monica. In his role, John trained foreign governments in air defense. His work took him around the world, with assignments in London, Iran, Morocco and Thailand. His family often believed he may have had connections with the CIA, though this remains a mystery.

John retired from SDC in the late 1980s and transitioned into real estate, joining Coldwell Banker in Brentwood and later in Santa Barbara.

In 1978, John met his partner and future husband, Jeffrey Yellen. The couple purchased a condo in Brentwood, just down the street from the notorious O.J. Simpson murder scene. They lived there for 15 years and then moved to Santa Barbara upon Jeffrey’s retirement from Continental Airlines. They remained in Santa Barbara for three years before moving to Rancho Mirage in 2003, seeking to escape the coastal cold, foggy summers. Their first home in Rancho Mirage was on Silver Circle, and in 2014, they purchased a unit in Desert Island.

John had a wide range of interests, including reading, swimming and snow skiing. John loved instructing and skiing with his nieces and nephews in Mammoth, Vail and Vald’Isere, France. He swam weekly at the Palm Springs Swim Center up until last year. John and Jeffrey traveled and cruised worldwide, including three voyages on the Queen Mary II.

John was deeply loved and admired by his many nieces, nephews and their children, who will miss him dearly at future family gatherings. His final wish was to attend his sister’s 100th birthday celebration in Belpre, Ohio, and he was able to do so in September, thanks to the extraordinary care he received at the Lucy Curci Cancer Center at Eisenhower Health.

John will be remembered fondly by all who knew him. He will be missed deeply by his family and friends.

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