John Scott Jurgens

John Scott Jurgens, our beloved son and brother, died unexpectedly on November 1, 2025, at his home in Battle Ground, Washington.

John was born on November 23, 1989, Thanksgiving Day, in Billings, Montana to the Rev. Scott and Cheryl (neé Valentine) Jurgens. He was issued a special birth certificate signed by the Governor of Montana because he was born in Montana’s centennial year. As an infant and a toddler he had a hard time sleeping, spending many a night with his mother watching the Tonight Show with Jay Leno substituting for Johnny Carson. He would often say, “No Johnny, I want Jay Leno” when Johnny would be on. He grew up in Columbus, Montana; Odessa, Washington; Hayden, Idaho; and Lewiston, Idaho as his father served in several Lutheran churches around the inland northwest. He graduated from Lewiston High School. When he started his career with Walmart he lived in the Moscow-Pullman area, later moved to Eugene, OR and ultimately landed in the Portland-Vancouver area. He worked as an associate manager, and then transferred to Walmart’s optical department and worked as an optical technician up until his death.

He married Grace Richards in October of 2018; they later divorced. He then met Camica Cox in August of 2022 and they were later engaged.

John and Camica bonded over their love for dogs and punk rock music. He loved going to concerts no matter the genre. He had various interests including, disc golf, snowboarding, fishing, firearm collecting, and watching hockey. His favorite teams were the Capitals (hockey) and the Ravens (football). He also liked to watch vintage horror films but watched comfort movies too like The Expendables.

John had a great sense of humor. He liked to give funny gifts, like the ones he gave to his father; a t-shirt with a cross on it that said, “The Sermonator”, or the coffee mug with a picture of Jesus on it with the caption, “Straight Outta Heaven.” He liked to make his boss, Nina laugh with movie quotes, like, “I’m sorry, sir. I’m trying my best sir” when she would correct him for something. They even would have “Creed-offs” to see who could remember more of the Nicene Creed from their confirmation classes, since they were both Lutheran Pastor’s kids.

His fiancée Camica says this best: John was full of love for everyone he came across. He loved to make new friends whenever going to live music shows, and loved to share those experiences with those he held close. Punk music was his favorite, if you lost him at a concert you would always find him in the pit. He could talk about his love of films endlessly, and always was happy to go fishing or play Frisbee golf with friends. If he could do it with those he loved, he was absolutely going to have them there. He always found an excuse for a nice dinner and his favorite puzzle was figuring out what wine might perfectly pair with what he was eating. He knew how to make people laugh, and always had a goal to spread joy. Sometimes that meant a joke that may or may not have actually brought someone joy. He had a “we will figure it out” attitude and did his best to support those he loved, even if it meant experiencing styles of movie or music that he hated.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Cheryl Jurgens; aunts, Colleen Loewen and Linda Smith; uncles, Juan Miranda and Donald Valentine; and grandmother, Patricia Jurgens.

He is survived by his father, the Rev. Scott Jurgens (Sue Clovis); sisters, Kate Jurgens (Michael Gates), Jessica Jurgens, and Patricia “PJ” Hillemann (Eric); fiancée, Camica Cox; aunt, Anita Miranda; uncle, Mike Loewen; various cousins; and his dog, Crosley.

A Memorial Service will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 12, 2025, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 920 8th Avenue, Lewiston, Idaho. A Celebration of Life will also take place in the Vancouver-Battle Ground area at a time and place to be determined.

The family suggests memorials in John's memory be sent to a local animal shelter of choice, the American Kidney fund, or the National Kidney Foundation.