John Tupper

John was born and raised in Portland and graduated from Portland State University. While at PSU he sought a degree in Urban Studies and also enjoyed competitive swimming and water polo. John’s ambition as a younger man was to become the mayor of his hometown. He started along that pathway as a Legislative Aid during three biannual sessions of the Oregon Legislature working for a caucus of urban, liberal Democrats in the House of Representatives. One summer, with no political work available, he was asked to serve as the waterfront director at a BSA camp on the Oregon coast.  Following four years of splitting his time between school, political work and camp he was recruited into a professional staff position with the Portland based BSA Council, leaving politics and his mayoral aspirations behind. In 1983 he accepted a BSA position in Tacoma and shortly after arriving here he met Karla Jo. They have lived on Fox Island for 33 years, raising four children here. Being about 2/3 Norwegian it’s not surprising that he grew up in the Lutheran tradition even though his father was raised in a Congregationalist church. Karla Jo is also 50%+ Scandinavian. John and Karla Jo were married in 1985 at Mt Cross Lutheran Church in University Place and attended there for the first two years of their lives together. Shortly after moving into their new home on Fox Island, Vacation Bible School brought them to FIUCC. Ask him about that story sometime.