John Stephen Carrio of League City, Texas, age 72, passed away peacefully in his sleep on September 19th at the Ashford of Draper in Draper, Utah where he had been a resident since July 2026.

The youngest of 8 children, John was born in Houston, Texas, to Julius Salazar Carrio and Irene Garza Carrio. He and his mother grew close as they endured economic hardships together. He attended the local elementary and middle school but dropped out of high school to join the United States Army in 1973. He set up an allotment out of his paycheck and sent a large part of it home to his mother. Unbeknownst to him she refused to spend any of it and presented it back to him when he returned home. In return, John used the savings to help make her life more comfortable.

While in the Army, John worked in communications and received a permanent change of station to South Korea. He developed a deep appreciation and love for the Korean people, food, and culture that lasted the rest of his life. He loved to use his limited Korean language skills while answering the phone and he often drove across town to his favorite Asian market or Korean restaurant.

Shortly before leaving for South Korea, John began to investigate The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He found hope, peace, and love in the teachings of eternal families and had "LDS" printed on the reverse side of his dog tags in case of accident or injury, despite not being a member. When he returned home from South Korea, he completed his service commitment and was honorably discharged from the Army. Shortly after he returned home, he was baptized, which he considered a pivotal life decision.

As a new LDS home teacher assigned to teach the Flores family (who had recently moved to Houston, Texas from Chicago, Illinois), he met, fell in love with, and later married Mirtia Elena Flores. They were married on September 28, 1977 in the Salt Lake Temple in Utah for time and all eternity. They would have celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary on September 28th. They had five children.

John worked hard to always be an example of a lifelong learner. John regretted dropping out of high school, so while in the army he attended night courses after work and earned his diploma through Saint Louis High School, Adult Division. He went on to earn certifications in the Dale Carnegie Course (1982) for human relations and as an electrician with the Exxon corporation. He also maintained his driving instructor's certification and taught driver's education at his father's driving school until at least 1983. Later he earned a Bachelor of Science and Engineering Technology through the University of Houston (2003), and a Master's degree in Technical Management from the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (2006).

John's casual acquaintances knew him as a somber, straight-faced, organized, serious person, but his closest family and friends knew him as a prankster with a ridiculous sense of humor. During his time in the army, for every straight-faced picture of him in full uniform there were many others with him in silly poses or wearing his friend's hat. Each of his children have stories of John waiting behind the entryway to jump out from behind the wall, screaming and terrifying them, even as they also have stories of him making pancakes and letting them watch Saturday morning cartoons so their mom could sleep in.

John loved to explore his community. He was always looking for new Asian or seafood restaurants to try. Most Christmas celebrations involved attending The Nutcracker ballet, and many spring memories involved visits to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo concerts. He loved staying up to date on local and world events and worked hard to politically educate himself. He considered voting in every city, state, and national election both an honor and a duty of every U.S. citizen.

He loved playing chess and delighted in passing that love on to many of his grandkids through friendly and often competitive matches. He loved all music, especially classical and Latin, and he passed that love on to his children. He was an avid science fiction fan and loved to watch or read anything about space travel.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Irene Garza; his father, Julius Salazar; his sister, Olga Virginia; his brothers, Julius Caesar and Miguel; his nephew, Steven; and his close friend—the first amigo—Sandy Davis.

He is survived by all five of his children: Florentina Linda Pigott (Cody); Irma Irene Lund (Jacob); Mirtha Marie Samuelson (Richard); Amanda Bess Anderson (Philip); John Stephen Carrio II (Leslie); 21 grandchildren; a large number of nieces, nephews, and cousins; and his best friend—the third amigo—Ky White (Cindy).