Article was written by David Roberts Jr. (Close friend of mine)

“John Faas was not your typical fighter. He was special. He was not the type to dazzle you with his acrobatics. Nor was he the type to run up the score for the sake of impressing you. He was diligent, steady, and patient. I remember his fighting style so well not only because we spent such a great deal of time training together, but because we would also always, and I do mean always, end up in the finals fighting each other. John had the fighters spirit. He would never quit. He would work hard, study hard, train hard, to be successful. And yet thinking of John, there were so many more remarkable things about him, than his excellence in a sport which he loved. 

John exemplified the spirit of Tae Kwon Do. Even as an adolescent I recognized that. I used to joke with him that it was just a sport. That he took the art of Tae Kwon Do too seriously. Little did I know. Along the years, he was constantly teaching me about the history of the sport, about the philosophy. To which I always accused him of trying to feed me my vegetables. But as his spirit was, he never gave up. He was so passionate about his knowledge and understanding of the art, that sometimes, he even was able to teach me things without me realizing it. He was clever. I sometimes joke about the lofty ambitions of the students creed, and the Tae Kwon Do oath. To build a more peaceful world. To be a champion of freedom and justice. But John truly lived these. I remember him aspiring to be a Navy SEAL at 13. “To make a difference” as he put it. The beautiful thing about a guy like John, is that he did. He made a difference. He fought proudly for his country. No doubt he put everything he had into being the best he could be to serve the uniform, his family, his friends and his country proudly. That’s just who he was. 

To those who never had the pleasure of meeting John W. Faas, boy you missed something special. You could see his million watt smile from across the room. You would hear him talk, not only about life, dreams, and ambitions, but also how to capture, and achieve them. He was encouraging. Always. He loved helping others to pursue their ambitions as well. His look of concentration, and determination that he wore when it was time to get down to business was sometimes all it took to motivate me. He was one of the most respectful and considerate people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He always had a kind word, or a compassionate ear. John was wise beyond his years, but never let you know that he knew it. He had a humility about him that was inspiring. He always wanted the best for everybody. He knew that the light of one candle was never made dimmer, by the illumination of another. 

John, I will never forget you my Brother. The lessons you taught me. The blood sweat and tears we shed together along the way. For all the hours we spent in the pads together. I never told you, but it was you that kept me going. You pushed me to be the best that I could be. For that I will always be grateful. You inspired me in so many aspects of my life. There are no words for how much you will be missed. I love you, and I’ll see you on the other side.”

~David Roberts

Click here to view John Weston Fass Bio
Also Posted on Kim’s Taekwondo Center’s Website – www.tkdkims.com