John Thomas Rainwater, Jr., 57, of San Jose, California passed away at home on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. He was born in Campbellsville, KY on July 26, 1969, a son of John Thomas Rainwater, Sr. and the late Sherri Rainwater.

His parents were absolutely thrilled by his arrival, and later welcomed his sisters, Julie and Jill. He loved his family deeply and spent much of his youth playing with his sisters and cousins. Oh, the stories he told!

John was a 1987 graduate of Taylor County High School, finishing in the top of his class. He was a member of the National Beta Club and the Academic Team. He was quite athletic, with baseball holding a special place in his heart, as he was a former All-Star player known for his incredible catching skills. A bit of an eccentric in high school, John wore a jacket and tie to class every day and carried a briefcase. Later in life he referred to his “Alex P. Keaton” days with great fondness. He was a person of great intellect, fun and imagination, referred to by his friends as an “anchor and sparring partner.” After graduation he attended the United States Naval Academy before finding his calling in technology. He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 1990’s, working for various technology companies. In 2001 he met his future wife, Rhonda, on a blind date at an Italian restaurant. The rest is history.

With the encouragement of his wife, John completed his Bachelor’s degree in physics and math in 2006, graduating from Western Kentucky University. It was a difficult task considering the fact that he was living in San Jose at the time. Fortunately, with the help of Dr. Doug Harper, his mentor and friend, he was successful. He went on to enjoy a very successful career in lasers and optics. Due to health issues, he retired in 2025.

John was preceded in death by his sister, Jill Rainwater; his mother, Sherri Rainwater; his grandparents: Frances Campbell, John D. Rainwater, Ernest Price, and Doris Beams; and his nephew, John Michael Milby.

SURVIVORS:

His wife: Rhonda (Johnson) Rainwater

His father: John Thomas Rainwater, Sr.

1 sister: Julie (Mike) Kerns

Many nieces & nephews: Krissy (Kyle) Farmer, Holly (Dustin Bond) Burris, Shara (Mike) Dobson, Alex Gilbert, Dillan (Faith) Kerns, Kara (Garren Hendricks) Johnson, and Amber (Martin) Chavez

His mother-in-law: Avonne Johnson

Brother-in-law: Brad (Kelly) Johnson

Special friends: Bryan Ward, Joey Cox and Erik Bard

Countless family members & friends

Memorial Service: Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 11:00amET at L.R. Petty Funeral Home in Campbellsville, KY

Visitation: After 10:00amET on Saturday at the funeral home

Memorials are suggested to be donations to the Funeral Expense Fund and can be made at the funeral home or by clicking the Tribute Fund tab at the top of John's obituary on the www.lrpetty.com website.