John Wyckoff with his wife of 56 years, Carolyn Marie Ulmer Wyckoff.

John Franklin Wyckoff (78), a native of Champaign, Ill., passed away at home on Monday, May 28, after a battle with cancer.

Wyckoff was a resident of Mobile, Ala., for 56 years. He served in the Air Force, retired as chief of communications for the city of Mobile and retired from Mobile County 9-1-1 after helping get it started.

“John was a long-time AFC Local Advisor and APCO International Life Member,” says Farokh Latif, director, AFC, APCO’s Spectrum Management Division. “He will be truly missed.”

“[Dad] truly enjoyed doing the frequency searches and being involved with APCO,” says his son, Charles Wyckoff. “It broke his heart when the doctor told him he would probably not be able to keep it up about a month or two back. He fought a good fight, but cancer does not fight fair.”

“Such sad news,” says APCO Senior Member Carolyn H. Hunter, Conyers, Ga.. He was so dynamic in his dedication to this profession and will be dearly remembered and missed.”

“I knew John when I was a member of the Alabama Chapter for four years back in the 1990s,” says Barry Furey, director, Raleigh-Wake (N.C.) 9-1-1 Center. “This is truly sad news. John was a fine man and really cared about APCO. He will be missed.”

Wyckoff was a member of and supported Central Baptist Church, Government Street Baptist Church and finally Bethel Baptist Church, where he will be greatly missed by all. He was also a member of the Guy T. Smith Masonic Lodge.

His hobbies included camping, riding motorcycles, working outdoors, photography, spending time with family and using the computer.

“Whatever he did, he was involved, hands on and dedicated,” says Charles. “He was very much about family and his profession at the same time. My memory was of him being connected to the radio shop for the city of Mobile. He was with the city of Mobile for about 31 years. He ended up at the city as chief of communications, and everyone knew him. He was a MacGyver of sorts; he could get anything to work in a pinch. He was smarter than anyone I know and with more common sense than most. One time he built time clocks for a drag strip with Christmas tree starting lights, staging lights and clocks in the tower made out of coffee cans and such.

“He rode motorcycles for the city in a lot of events, like the fair and Mardi Gras. He owned a funeral escort service for several funeral homes in Mobile in the 1970s. He touched a lot of people and taught me a lot more than I could ever use in three lifetimes.”

John Wyckoff with great-grandbaby Makayla.

Wyckoff is survived by his wife of 56 years, Carolyn Marie Ulmer Wyckoff; two sons, Charles Edward (Rhonda) and Gregory Alan (Sandy); three grandchildren, Jason Kyle (Angie) Wyckoff, Joshua Alan Wyckoff and Catherine Marie (Matt) Breland; and four great-grandchildren, Brileigh Michelle Wyckoff, Kyler Elin Wyckoff, Makayla Catherine Breland and Landen Carter Saul. He is also survived by one sister, Wilma Jean Wilson. He was preceded in death by his father, mother and one sister.

Funeral services will be held at the chapel of Serenity Funeral Home on Friday, June 1, 2012, at 10 a.m. The interment will be in Serenity Memorial Gardens.