John Alexander Gulick III
John Alexander Gulick III passed away on December 13, 2019. John was born in Denver, Colorado to John Alexander and Jane Bluntzer Gulick on November 29, 1955, their beloved only child. He grew up in Denver, where he treasured his neighborhood friends in Greenwood Village and playing tennis at the Cherry Hills Country Club. In 1968, the family moved to Orange County, California and ultimately settled in Newport Beach. John attended Corona del Mar High School playing tennis and basketball. Every summer, the family returned to his parents’ hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas where many memories were made with his cousins, who are really more like siblings.
After graduating from Corona del Mar, John went to University of Arizona where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. He studied Accounting and played tennis. He remained a rabid, if often frustrated, fan of Wildcat football and a passionate fan of Wildcat basketball. The friendships he made at Sig Ep lasted a lifetime – those men epitomize brotherhood – with many of them providing support, comfort, laughs and love until his last moments. His family remains in awe of their brotherhood and commitment.
John attended Southern Methodist University Law School where he received his law degree and a master’s in taxation. He started his career at Ernst and Whinney in Dallas before becoming a solo practitioner. In 1989, he followed his heart back to Arizona, settling in Scottsdale and planting deep roots in the community. His practice focused on estate planning and tax, and he ended his career as an Executive with Mutual of Omaha Bank. John was active in Young Republicans, the Scottsdale Bar Association, Valley Leadership, Scottsdale Leadership and Scottsdale Training and Rehabilitative Services. He was a member of the state bars of Texas and Arizona, and a licensed CPA in both states.
In 2003, John married Melinda Morrison Gulick, who he met through his community leadership roles in Scottsdale. Melinda and John shared a love of travel, the outdoors and the Rolling Stones – together they visited Latin America, Europe, Africa and places throughout the United States (often with a Stones concert thrown in). In 2013, they welcomed their first son, John Alexander Gulick IV, better known as Zane. And in 2015, Jace David Gulick was born. John was delighted and amazed by Zane and Jace. They brought great joy, laughter and light to him throughout his extended battle with brain cancer.
John is survived by his wife, Melinda, his sons Zane and Jace, his cousins Nina (Fred) Randolph, Edward Andrew (Mary Jo) Parker III, Elena (Joe) Payne, Mariana (Wes) Thomas, Kathy (Chad) Luhan, Kelli (Colin) Lupold and Kourtney (Rick) Pena, his mother-in- law, Judee Morrison, along with his Sigma Phi Epsilon brothers and a myriad of friends.
John was a connector, a planner, bright, enthusiastic and loved. He adored his family, his friends, his dogs, the Wildcats and the Rolling Stones. Services to honor and celebrate John will be held on Tuesday, January 7 at 2 p.m. at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church (6715 North Mockingbird Lane, Scottsdale, AZ 85253). Contributions in John’s memory may be made to the University of Arizona Steele Children’s Research Center/PANDA (4455 East Camelback Road, Suite E-125 Phoenix, AZ 85018) or at azpanda.org.