John David Monast (born John David Schultz) of Wakefield, Rhode Island, died on March 16, 2023, at South County Hospital in South Kingstown. He was 58 years old.
John was born in Warwick, Rhode Island on September 6, 1964, the second of two sons to David Richard Schultz (died July 22, 1988 in Middletown, Connecticut) and Elizabeth Monast Schultz Bryn (died February 2, 2022 in Worcester, Massachusetts). He was adopted by Charles Arthur Monast (died November 16, 2019 in Port St. Lucie, Florida) as a young child. He was preceded also in death by his paternal grandparents, John T. and Elizabeth Welch Schultz; maternal grandparents, Louis Alphonse and Doris Marie Primeau Monast; and maternal nephew, Michael Philip Barker.
He is survived by his older brother, James Arthur Monast (born James Arthur Schultz) and his wife, Kimberly Speer Monast of Lexington, Kentucky, and their sons Liam Andrew Monast of Athens, Georgia and Casey Alden Monast also of Lexington, Kentucky; his maternal aunt Jeanette Ann Monast of Middletown, Rhode Island; and his maternal nephew, Matthew Peter Barker of Providence, Rhode Island.
John graduated from Cohoes High School in Cohoes, New York in 1982 and served his country in the United States Air Force from January 1983 to June 1992 as part of SAC- Strategic Air Command. Sergeant John Monast received many commendations and awards during his near decade of service, including an AF Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster; AF Outstanding Unit Award; AF Organizational Excellence Award; AF Good Conduct Medal with two oak leaf clusters; National Defense Service Medal; AF Overseas Short Tour Ribbon with three oak clusters; AF Longevity Service Ribbon with one oak leaf cluster; NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon with one oak leaf cluster; and Small Arms Expert Rifle Ribbon.
His proudest moment was earning the Airman’s Medal for Heroism in 1987 in Songtan-Si, Republic of Korea, for rescuing Miss Sul Yon Kim from a burning building. From the Air Force’s Citation to Accompany the Award of The Airman’s Medal: Sergeant Monast and a friend evacuated the burning building but noticed the owner had gone back inside. They found Miss Kim trapped in a back storage room. Sergeant Monast helped carry the unconscious woman through the smoke and heat amidst exploding windows and the back wall toppling. Sergeant Monast was able to enlist the help of Korean National Police and get Miss Kim to the hospital for medical treatment, where she survived.
Sergeant John Monast was honorably discharged in 1992 and went to work for Intel Corporation in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. John loved animals, motorcycles, all type of watches, and camping and traveling. He returned to New England in his 50s and settled in Wakefield, Rhode Island, where he volunteered at the South Kingstown Animal Shelter.
A memorial service for John David Monast was held on Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 11AM in the Columbarium Committal Center at the Rhode Island Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery, located at 301 South County Trail, Exeter, Rhode Island.
In lieu of flowers, if you would like to honor or remember John with a donation, please send it to the South Kingstown Animal Shelter located at 132 Asa Pond Rd, South Kingstown, Rhode Island 02879.
Arrangements entrusted to the J.F. Skeffington Funeral Home and Cremations 925 Chalkstone Avenue Providence.
For online condolences kindly visit: SKEFFINGTONFUNERALHOME.COM
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