John Weddle grew up in Long Beach, California and was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He joined the Huntington Beach Fire Department in 1972 where he served for 27 years as a firefighter, fire engineer/ inspector, arson investigator, hazardous materials specialist, and labor contract negotiator. He loved being an engineer and often claimed it was "the best job in the fire service." John died from job-related blood cancer at the age of 67.