John Frank Tyree, III, age 63, of McLean, Va. arrived in heaven on Saturday, November 24, 2018. He was born on Wednesday, November 2, 1955 to the late John Frank and Jewell Tyree. John became a Sergeant in the United States Air Force with six years of service to the country. While in Japan John met his love, Maki. He served in numerous capacities at the time of his marriage in 1978 of which he was a Defense Communications Specialist at Yokota Air Force Base. He enjoyed traveling and exploring new places, he also loved to work with anything electronic! John had an affinity for aviation and earned his pilot’s license in his twenties; he was taught to fly by the late Wes Hillman, a local aviation guru in the Roanoke Valley. John knew Jesus and studied his word feverishly. In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by his father and mother-in-law, Hiroshi and Hisao Funatsu; brother-in-law, Wayne Carroll; sister-in-law, Chiyoko Funatsu; and aunt, Margaret Shepherd.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 40 years, Makiko “Maki” Tyree; sisters, Sandra Carroll Vandergrift (Clark), Gwen Kropff (Jim), and Rhonda Fisher (Paul); one niece, Angela C. Ergenbright Bias (Rick); nephews, Michael Carroll, Christopher Kropff (Daughn), and John Shepherd.
A funeral service to celebrate John’s life will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Friday, November 30, 2018 at the John M. Oakey & Son Funeral Home with Rev. Dr. John Thompson officiating. A private interment will be held for the family.
Friends may visit with the family at the funeral home on Friday, November 30, 2018 from 1 p.m. until the service hour.
The family wishes to thank John’s work family for their kindness and support shown during this time.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the INOVA Fairfax Hospital Health Foundation: foundation.inova.org/donate-now.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.johnmoakey.com.

“It is what it is!” – John