John Saliba Atallah, 64 of Vacaville, CA passed away with his family by his side in Santa Clara on September 24, 2023 from complications of congestive heart failure.

John was born May 22, 1959 in Bethlehem, Palestine; the first of six children.  His dedication to his family and strong work ethic started at a young age and followed him into adulthood.  Growing up between Bethlehem and Jifna, John spent his youth participating in the Boy Scouts and partaking in peaceful protests for Palestinian rights.  He was very proud of his roots and would often say he "walked to work on the very same cobblestones that Jesus walked." He had fond memories of the olive groves, fig trees and apricot trees on his grandfather's farm.  During the 1967 Six-Day War, his father and him crawled to safety for hours during the night to reach the rest of the family in Jifna.

After high school in 1976, John started working for the Lutheran Church Youth Hostel in Old City Jerusalem.  He welcomed guests from all over the world with his hospitality. He was very proud of his first official job so he could continue to help support his family.

In 1979, he immigrated to the United States with his mom.  He worked tirelessly at three jobs to save enough money to bring his brother, George over and eventually his father and four sisters arrived. His family was once again all together.

John had found his niche in the restaurant business working in multiple restaurants in the Bay Area.  He went on to own The Diplomat Restaurant with his brother George, a deli in Vallejo, Sam's Harbor in Benicia, Alexandra's Café in Sacramento and Monica's in Oakland.

John met DeAnn at Sam's Harbor and on their second date asked her to marry him. They were married on July 16, 1988 and settled in Vacaville. Their marriage was filled with a deep love for each other, respect, compassion and teamwork.  They traveled all over the world together exploring new places. They successfully navigated the meshing of two cultures and family traditions to create their own loving family. They welcomed Alexandra in 1991 and Robert in 1995.  Becoming a father brought him immense joy and he was very proud of them.  John loved being called Dad and Sido once he became a grandpa.

John continued to have a strong work ethic and in his free time loved cooking.  He was precise in the kitchen without ever measuring ingredients and loved the presentation just as much as the preparation.  His food was loved by his family and friends, especially his hummus.

John was a life-time 49er fan and enjoyed many years of season tickets with his son.

John started with Sysco Food services in 2001 and later moved to Performance  Food Group.  As a food service salesman, he went above and beyond for his customers receiving many accolades, recognitions and awards for sales. This transition also gave the family the opportunity for travel. Yearly family summer trips were to Oklahoma, Hawaii, Florida, Disneyland, a cross country road trip to Niagara Falls and in 2000, the family was able to travel back to Palestine to see where John grew up.  As a couple, their travels expanded abroad with many trips to Cabo and Hawaii. Watching the ocean always brought him peace.  His last trip was a recent short cruise with DeAnn out of San Francisco to see the ocean.  He was always willing to head out on their next adventure; as long as DeAnn did the planning and packing!

As his children grew, John was active in the Vacaville High School Grad Night and Music programs.  He worked tirelessly on crab feeds, weekly bingo and chaperoning music tours many years even after his own children had graduated.

John had a big heart and would drop everything to help family or friends without question. He had a strong commitment to his family and always put them first. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

John is survived by his wife DeAnn of 35 years; daughter Alexandra and grandson Oliver; son Robert and wife Alicia and granddaughter Jayden, grandson John Wayne Saliba and new granddaughter on the way, Jazmine Hilwa; brother George and wife May; sister Nawal and husband Faris; sister Naila and husband Mike; sister Samia and husband Sami; sister Besmah and husband Anton; mother-in-law Frances Bornemann and Sister-in-law Chanda Williams with husband Wayne; numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends. He was predeceased by his parents Saliba and Hilwa Atallah.

A visitation will be Tuesday, October 3 from 6:00-8:00 at Vaca Hills Chapel Funeral Home in Vacaville.  Services are at St. Timothy's Orthodox Church in Fairfield on Wednesday, October 4 at 11:00.  Internment follows at 1:00 at the Vacaville-Elmira Cemetery with a meal immediately following at St. Timothy's social hall.  All family and friends are invited to celebrate his life and share their favorite memories of John.