John “JJ” North

SHERBURN - The North family is incredibly devastated by the sudden and unexpected loss of John “JJ” North, age 37, of Sherburn.      We appreciate your support as we grieve this tremendous loss.
A Celebration of Life service will be held for John at 4:00 PM on Monday, July 21, 2025, at the Sinn Family Celebration of Life Center - Trimont Chapel (111 Apple Street East, Trimont, MN 56176) with Pastor Stephanie Christoffels officiating. The service will be recorded and available afterwards on John’s obituary page.
     Visitation will take place from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM on Sunday, July 20, 2025, at the Sinn
Family Celebration of Life Center - Trimont Chapel (111 Apple Street East, Trimont, MN 56176) as well as from 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM prior to the service at the funeral home on
Monday.
    Military honors will be provided by the Army National Guard at the Sinn Family Celebration of Life Center. In lieu of flowers, plants, or other gifts, the family kindly requests that memorial donations be
directed to the family to support John’s wife, Kristie and their children, Oakley and Aven.

If you would like to leave a message of sympathy for John’s family, you can do so at his obituary page at www.sinnfuneralhome.com.
     John “JJ” North was born on July 24, 1987, to Les and Marlene (Banks) North in Landstuhl,
Germany near Ramstein Air Base. Growing up as an Air Force brat, John lived all across the United States, spending time in places like Lubbock, Texas; K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base near Marquette, Michigan; and Eveleth, Minnesota, before his family eventually settled in Sherburn, Minnesota, in 2001. He graduated from Martin County West High School with the Class of 2006. During his school years, John was active in football and basketball, but he was most at home on the water - spending every spare moment wakeboarding with friends on Fox Lake.
     After high school, John answered the call to serve his country by joining the U.S. Army. He went on to serve with honor and distinction for over 19 years, with the majority of his time served in the National Guard. His military career took him on deployments to Afghanistan, Kuwait, Djibouti, and Kenya. John received numerous awards for his exemplary service,
including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and was recognized as Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) of the Year in 2019 - a testament to his leadership, commitment, and character. John was the kind of soldier and friend who left a lasting impression on everyone he met - an inspiring leader, a generous mentor, and a loyal teammate whose impact will never be forgotten.
     One summer, while working at Sunset Lodge on Oak Island, John met the love of his life, Kristie (Olson) North. The two were united in marriage on November 7, 2011, and together they were blessed with two children, Oakley and Aven. John and Kristie made their home in Duluth for eight years before relocating to Sherburn in 2019. John trained as a Civil
Engineering Technician and went on to work as a Building Materials Tester for Braun Intertec, where his strong work ethic and attention to detail left a lasting impact.
     John was a devoted father who found great joy in cheering on his kids at their games and activities, supporting them with pride and love whenever he could. His warm presence, quick wit, deep loyalty, and unwavering love for his family and country will be remembered
always and missed beyond measure.
     John will forever be remembered by his loving wife, Kristie; children, Oakley and Aven
North; parents, Les and Marlene North; sister, Caroline (Preston) McCourt; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Julie and Randy Wahlstrom; brother-in-law, Sheldon Olson; nieces and nephews, MaKenna and Jaxon Hendrickson, Raegan Olson, Carter, Miles, and Henry McCourt; and many other relatives and friends. John was preceded in death by his father-in-law, Bruce Olson; paternal grandparents, John and Frances North; maternal grandmother, Rachel Banks; maternal step-grandmother, Joanne Banks; and sister-in-law, Katie Olson.