At the time of his death he was an editor for MacUser magazine in Foster City, California.
John began writing the "Apple Cart" column in Creative Computing magazine in January 1983 after David Lubar left to work for a video game company in California.
John and fellow MacUser editor Derek van Alstyne were killed in San Francisco during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
[3][4] They were visiting the city for a business meeting when the front of a building collapsed, burying his car in debris from a brick wall.
MacUser named two of its annual Editors' Choice Awards, celebrating distinguished achievement and up-and-coming talent, respectively, after the pair.