Preston, John A.

Preston,  John A.

Obituary: John A. Preston, 83, of Chino Valley, Arizona, passed away from natural causes on Oct. 19, 2023, after a year and a half of declining health. He left behind his wife of 59 years, Christy; his son Chris, daughter-in-law Michelle, and grandson Cole, of Garland, Texas; and his son Mitch of Tucson, Arizona; as well as his sister Sami Anderson of Goodyear, Arizona. No services are planned.

John was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Aug. 15, 1940. When he was a year old, his family moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he completed his education, practiced law, and flew F-102s for the Air National Guard. In 1973, he moved to Prescott and worked for a local firm, later becoming a partner. In 1979, he opened his own office as a sole practitioner. His clients appreciated his compassion, integrity, and willingness to go to trial on their behalf.

In 1979, he moved to Chino Valley and embraced the rural lifestyle, even raising his own beef, beginning with an orphaned calf, which he bottle-fed, given in lieu of a fee by one of his clients. As his sons became involved in baseball, he was instrumental in the development of a Mickey Mantle League in Prescott, in order to provide the older players with more opportunities to develop their skills and become competitive at the higher levels. He retired from law in 2002, but continued to provide property management for one of his clients, and later his heirs, until 2022.