John Littlehale

Birth: April 10, 1935 | Died: November 13, 2021

John-Bob, 87, of Anaheim, CA passed away peacefully on November 13, 2021. He is survived by his sister Carol LaFollette, nieces Vicki, Louise, Jennifer and nephew Michael. He was born and raised due West of Boston in Waltham (the Watch City), Mass. His sister recalls that in boyhood, John-Bob had a wonderful singing voice that he used in church and in plays. In winter, he liked to sled down the snowy hills. He also loved to ice skate behind the famous Gov. Gore mansion in Waltham, Mass. His favorite cousin was Edward (Sonny) Dugan. His favorite holidays were Christmas and 4th of July. He excelled in his Math classes. John-Bob moved to California with his family as a young man, eventually settling in San Pedro. He had a job and a roof over his head, but his life was certainly unmanageable. One morning while driving a forklift at work he caught the most spectacular view of the mountains. They were covered with bright white snow against the most brilliant bright blue sky. His immediate thought was, “I don’t wanna live this way.” He would later say that God had showed him the beauty of the world so he would see the ugliness in his life. Jon-Bob made his way to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and never took another drink. In the final year of his life he celebrated 39 years of continuous sobriety. He started sponsoring men when he was six months sober and worked tirelessly as he helped others master their alcoholism and rebuild their lives. He was a strict “by the big book“ sponsor to hundreds of men, yet approached each one with a heart of compassion and grace. Some of those sponsored are still sober today. Jon-Bob believed there was no problem in life that could not be solved through prayer and working with another alcoholic. He did both until his very last day.