John Wells

“100%…guaranteed.” -John Wells

John Franklin Wells was a one-of-a-kind guy. That’s how his mother, JoAnn, describes her wonderful son.

Born on June 30th, 1972, at Memorial Hospital in Bakersfield to JoAnn and husband Jerry, John joined his older brother Scott in their rural Kern County home. A few years later, sisters Rebekah and then Rachel were welcomed into the family.

As John grew up, he quickly displayed the characteristics that would become his trademarks as an adult: outgoing and friendly, funny and fun-loving, hardworking and ambitious. All of these traits were motivated by his generous and caring heart.

As John grew up, he and his brother’s love for all things outdoors continued, and they learned to ride, rope, hunt, and shoot like professionals. Scott remembers how they would shoot each other in BB gun wars, with John upping the game once by loading a Q-tip in his BB gun that got lodged in Scotts ribs. Fortunately Scott recovered, and he and John became team roping partners, winning numerous awards for rodeo throughout high school.

John worked hard as an AC tech, stocking merchandise for Pepsi, and even a ranch hand at a feedlot. But the entrepreneurial bug had bitten him, and it wasn’t long before he and Greg Wattenbarger founded WWCI in the 1990s. John would go on to build WWCI into the successful general contracting business that it is today, and later purchase Greg’s interest.

John was well-known for his large and diverse group of friends, many of whom go back 30-40 years. They will all tell you that John “never met a stranger.” He had the gift of being able to converse eloquently with absolutely anyone, and always went out of his way to make others feel welcome. Many of these people would also say that the word “friend” doesn’t adequately describe the relationship they had with John, as so many considered him a member of their own family.

John always made sure that his friends and family were well taken care of and enjoying themselves when he was around. His parties and gatherings were the stuff of legend, and he was known for doing things in a BIG way. For example, at his father’s 70th birthday party in Santa Barbara, he had the highest quality steaks and lobsters flown in from the Midwest and Maine, respectively, and everyone at that meal would tell you it was one of the best they ever had.

It is because of this generous spirit that John is remembered by everyone as someone who would give you the “shirt off his back” if you needed it. While he gave back to his community in a variety of ways, his greatest philanthropic efforts went toward the Wounded Hero Fund.

Of course, all of this only tells part of the story of John Franklin Wells. John will be best remembered as a father and husband.

First blessed with son Braeden in 2001, he quickly transformed his home into a kids’ play palace for Braeden and nephew Cole (Rebekah’s son), complete with every toy and video game console available. When they weren’t enjoying the playland he had created at home, John regularly took the boys to hunt and shoot at Jerry and JoAnn’s ranch in Hart flat.

And then, in 2009, John’s life changed forever when he found his soul mate and the love of his life, Michelle, and she brought with her two additional blessings: Roxy, age 10, and Jesse, age 13.

Michelle remembers how considerate John always was of her children, and of how they might feel about him and his relationship with their mother. John understood that they came first to her, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

No one was more appreciative of him than Michelle, who couldn’t have asked for a better husband or bonus father to her children. As their three kids reached adulthood and began their own lives, they made more time for each other, adding a second residence in Santa Barbara and spending lots of time there laughing, riding their electric bicycles, and developing new friendships. A love for Santa Barbara was something they both shared, Michelle will cherish their memories there forever.

Michelle and John welcomed the birth of their grandson Jack (son of Roxy and husband Chance) in August of 2021, and to say that John was a proud PaPa would be an understatement! He bragged about Jack to anyone and everyone, and bought him what may be the biggest wagon in existence! With Jack’s birth and John’s death, we see that the circle of life continues, and it is propelled by love.

Love is what brought Michelle and John together, and she will cherish him in her heart for the rest of her life.

When John left us on March 21st, 2023, his last words were “Babe, hold my hand.” In addition to Michelle, their three children and one grandchild, John is survived by his parents, Jerry and JoAnn Wells of Hart Flat, brother Scott Wells of Bakersfield, sister Rebekah Reyes of Bakersfield (children Cole, Kaitlyn, and Lauren), and sister Rachel Davila of San Antonio, Texas (husband Randy, children Mia, Charlie, and Marshall), in addition to numerous members of his extended family and friends.

A celebration of life will be held Monday April 3, 2023 at Stockdale Country Club at 1PM. In true Johnny style, no suits, ties or mourning clothes.