John C. “Spark” Logan III

      John “Spark” Chester Logan III age 57 of West Richland died unexpectedly October 7, 2015 at Kadlec Hospital. He was born June 18, 1958 in Omaha, Nebraska to John Chester Logan II and Florine Logan (deceased).

John is survived by his best friend and wife Glenda and their combined family of daughters Angie Wright and her children Marlee and Broc of Rockaway Beach, OR;  and Jennifer Gessner and son Mykal of West Richland.  Also survived by brother Roger Logan of New Castle, CO, sisters Sally Fuoss of Colorado Springs, CO and Brenda Russell of Logan, UT.  He also leaves his extended family of Keck's (father and mother in law) Nicci Hughes, Tanner Hughes, Tessa Sexton, and his “little man” Bentley Hughes all of West Richland.

He was preceded in death by his only son John C. Logan IV, sister Judy Kay, nephew Timmy Logan and sister-in-law Loretta “Gus” Keck.

John spent his youth in Nebraska where he played High School football and sang in the school choir.

John followed his father into roofing but it didn’t take him long to discover his passion to become a Journeyman Lineman. He began his career traveling around the United States working for various non-union electrical contractors. He recognized the advantages of apprenticing as a union lineman and began a Northwest Joint Apprentice and Training Committee apprenticeship in Sept. 1991 rather than simply challenging the journeyman test.  In May of 1993, on one of his proudest days, he became an IBEW Local 77 Journeyman Lineman and began working for unionized construction employers.

In 1994 he began working for Benton REA and later moved on to The City of Richland.  He took a leave of absence in 2002, to fill in for IBEW LU77 Business Representative Mike Johnson who was away on leave. In 2004 he was asked to take the position permanently and his assignment (representing the membership negotiating, interpreting and administering labor contracts) grew to not only those working on his assigned construction contracts but those members covered in an additional seven utilities contracts. During this time he felt he had come full circle.

As a Business Representative of Local 77 he was appointed to the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee as a committee member, where he became a passionate advocate for safety and training standards for apprentices. His testimony, relaying the situation surrounding John IV fatality (working for a nonunion employer), was instrumental in keeping apprentice training as a Union responsibility within the State of Washington.  In person and on his voice mails, conversations ended with John saying, “If it is not safe, don’t do it.”

John developed a love for gardening in his spare time.  His yard was filled with flowers, vegetables, ponds and streams.  Friends and family could often be found in his back yard enjoying an afternoon barbeque.  His attention, love and hugs will be missed by all!

A Celebration of Life was held on Saturday, October 24, 2015, at the IBEW LU77 Hall in Kennewick, WA.