Comments: John T. Kallunki was born in 1936 in Portland, OR, but raised in
southern California, graduating from high school in 1954. After three years of college and working full-time for a few years, he joined the US army in 1961. The next year he married Jennie Lee Garner and they are the parents of four children.
After a 22-year military career, he retired and was employed by BYU, leaving his position as Assistant Dean of Students in 1994 to serve as President of the Ivory Coast Abidjan Mission. After serving for 2 1/2 years, President Kallunki was diagnosed with kidney cancer and passed away August 22, 1997.
Sister Kallunki says of their mission: We had no idea that these would be our last years together, but how thankful we are that we were together every day and on the Lord's errand. We both developed a great love for the saints in the Ivory Coast and the dedicated missionaries with whom we had the privilege to serve." |