John Condon Willes

Dr. John C. Willes, of Calimesa, passed peacefully on May 1, 2026, in Loma Linda, CA. John was a loving husband, uncle, brother, and friend.

John Condon Willes was born on September 4, 1942, in the country of Burma (now known as Myanmar). The youngest of 7 children, John grew up during World War II and post-war, leaving home at a young age for boarding school. John later attended Spicer College in India before being sponsored by one of his sisters to come to the United States in 1963. John was only in the US for a little over a year when he received draft papers and joined the US Army. John was sent to Germany in 1964. This is where he met his wife, Hannelore Breunig. They were married on August 25, 1967, in Germany. Upon arrival back to the US, John and Laura settled in Loma Linda, CA, where John worked as a respiratory therapist at Loma Linda University Medical Center before pursuing a career in dentistry. He took undergraduate classes at Valley College before attending Loma Linda School of Dentistry, graduating in 1980. John ran a dental practice in the city of Riverside for many years before retiring from a long and successful dental career.

Anyone who knew John understood his deep appreciation for cars. It was a fun hobby of his as he loved discussing anything related to cars, attending many car shows over the years, restoring a beautiful vintage truck, and, of course, driving on the open road.

In John’s younger years, he would go on big hunting trips with his brother Edric. We all remember the hunting trip where John came face-to-face with a bear one night in the woods. That bear ended up as a rug in John and Laura's house for many years, delighting and sometimes frightening his little nieces and nephews. It was always a good story to tell.

Although John and Laura did not have any children, they had several dogs. The most notable being Pierre, a feisty black poodle, and Willie and Heidi, two lovable schnauzers. Their dogs received only the best from John and Laura; walks, snuggles, and delicious home-cooked meals by Laura that John was also spoiled by. He loved Laura’s cooking and appreciated the German meals Laura would lovingly prepare for him.

John and Laura were able to build their dream house from the ground up in Calimesa, CA. They hosted many fun gatherings at their home, which gave friends and family many wonderful memories. After retirement, John loved to spend time in his expansive, beautiful yard. It was filled with many fruit trees, greenery, and flowers. John loved to feed the birds that came by each day at dusk as well as sit with Laura enjoying nature and beautiful views from their patio.

John was a generous, loving, kindhearted person. He loved to spend time with his family, friends, and many nieces and nephews in both the US and Germany. John’s smile, sense of humor, generous heart, and welcoming presence will be tremendously missed. John is survived by his wife, Laura, of 58 years, his bother Edric, sisters Kathleen and Jean, along with many nieces and nephews, and his German in-laws. He is preceded in death by his brother Kenneth and sisters Elizabeth and Joan.