JOHANNES “JOHN” PRINS
Johannes “John” Prins of Pixley, California, passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 3, 2026.
Born July 7, 1951 to Adam and Margaretha (den Boef) Prins in Oud Gastel, Netherlands, John grew up on his family’s farm with his sister and his 2 brothers. He married Anneke Blom on January 30, 1975. John and Anne welcomed their two sons, Jurgen and Arie into the world in October of 1975 and November of 1976. They worked on the family farm in Oud Gastel until September of 1979, when they took a leap of faith and moved with their young boys to Nova Scotia, Canada. In Canada, they farmed and John did service and repair work in the winter months.
Anybody who knew John knew that he hated the cold as much as he loved to “take the bull by the horns”; so it’s not surprising that after one vacation to Southern California in 1986, he decided that that was the place to be! In 1988, he and Anne sold their farm, packed their belongings and boys into a converted school bus and drove to Chino, California, where John did repair work for dairies in the area. In Corona in 1989, J & A Enterprises was born and the rest is, as they say, history! John made a reputation for himself as an excellent and reliable mechanic and taught his sons to be the same. With John and the boys in the shop and Anne in the office, J & A thrived and grew! John loved his customers and many great memories were made at the annual J & A Customer Appreciation BBQ!
In January of 1999, John saw an opportunity to expand J & A Enterprises and they began manufacturing their own feed boxes and wagons in Garden City, Kansas. With Jurgen at the helm in Kansas and Arie holding down the fort in Corona, John could do what he loved most- getting out there and selling feed mixers! Now, instead of the BBQ in Corona, customers would gather at the J & A booth at the Tulare farm show for a cold beer and a good look at that bright green J & A equipment! John was always ready with stories and jokes and t-shirts, bags, cups, and pens…all in J & A green! In 2003, J & A Manufacturing moved from Kansas to its current location in Pixley, Ca.
John was dedicated to his business and his customers for the rest of his days. The only thing he loved more than his work was his family. In recent years, you could never find a bigger smile on Opa’s face than when he was surrounded by his grandkids- and the louder they were playing, the better! He was so proud of them and all of their many accomplishments! He loved his boys and was so proud of them, as well. We are sure he is truly rejoicing at being reunited with Jurgen!
John leaves behind a legacy of love, dedication, and hard work. He will be so greatly missed.
John is survived by his wife, Anne, of Texas, his son Arie (Erin) of Texas, and 9 grandchildren; Abbigail (Christian) of Minnesota, Arie of Arkansas, Willem of California, and Sara, Anna, Tommy, Alice, Heidi, and Claire of Texas. Also by his sister Ank (Klaas) and brothers Ari and Wim of the Netherlands, as well as his beloved nieces and nephews in the Netherlands.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Adam and Margaretha, and his son, Jurgen.
Visitation will be held on Friday, August 14 from 4:00 to 7:00pm in the chapel at Peers-Lorentzen Funeral Services at 132 West Kern Ave. Tulare, Ca.
Graveside Services will be held on Saturday, August 15 at 10:00 am at the North Tulare Public Cemetery at 4572 J Street Tulare, Ca.
A meal will follow the services at the International Agri-Center at 4500 South Laspina St. Tulare, CA. All are welcome!
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to BreakthroughT1D.org, a type 1 diabetes research foundation.