John Aughney Obituary

A musician, surfer, father, and friend, John Aughney, 69, of Pleasant Hill passed away at home on May 13, 2025, under the care of hospice and his son, Sean.

John was born Dec. 2, 1955, in Washington state. When he started first grade, his family moved to Palo Alto, where he attended Greendell Elementary, Wilbur Junior High, and Cubberley High School.

His childhood friends remember riding bikes with him all over the foothills of Palo Alto. As they grew older, they traded their childhood Sting-Ray bikes for high-end European racing bicycles, with some weekend rides taking them all the way to the coast. The friends also embraced the world of skateboarding, and as soon as they got driver's licenses, they took to the beach, where John's love of surfing was born. After high school, they moved to Santa Cruz to take up surfing as full-time jobs, under the cover of attending Cabrillo College.

John's early love of music found him picking up the bass guitar as a kid and becoming a prolific musician. He parlayed his musical gift into a lifelong career as a professional musician, playing with the Jon Gibson Band and then the Sundogs, a San Francisco-based swamp rockers group that roiled a melting pot of music as it toured the U.S. and Europe.

He also enjoyed cars, motorsports, and restoring his beautiful 1966 Chevy Malibu convertible.

John's general demeanor was "chill." He had an easy and disarming charm and smile that served him well throughout his life. He could talk to anyone and "never met a stranger, never lost a friend he made, never burned a bridge." Sean remembers his dad always greeting him with the words, "What up, cool breeze."

John raised his only son in Sonoma County in the 1990s. In 2010, he moved to his late father's house in Pleasant Hill. A year ago, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that was resistant to treatment; with the help of family and friends, he was able to stay in his home.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Michael "Jack" Aughney and Neva Lois (Todd) Aughney; his beloved Gram, and his sister, Michelle Aughney.

He is survived by his son, Sean Aughney, and his "Cubberley brothers" Ron Stephens, Kurt Fouts, Danny Friedman, Michael Teicher, Billy Menchine, Bob Landry, and Rusty Brown.

John will be remembered by the spreading of his ashes in the ocean he loved.