| Pat John | |
| Birth Date: | March 1953 |
| Birth Place: | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Death Date: | 13 July 2022 (age 69) |
| Death Place: | Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1971–1990; 2002 |
Pat John (March 1953 – 13 July 2022) was a First Nations actor from Canada. He played for 19 years in The Beachcombers, the second-longest running series in Canadian television history.[1]
John, a member of the shíshálh Nation, was one of the first Indigenous people to appear on television in a non-caricature role.[2] He played Jesse Jim, business partner with Bruno Gerussi in "The Persephone" log-salvaging business on the CBC series. The show became an international hit.
John joined the series in 1971, staying until it ended in 1990.[3] His only other film credit was in the 2002 made-for-TV movie The New Beachcombers where he appeared alongside Marianne Jones who played his wife Laurel in the original series.[4]
He was a student at St. Augustine's Indian Residential School in Sechelt, British Columbia, part of the Canadian Indian residential school system, which involved forced removal and widespread abuse.[5] When he left, he got work at a local sawmill. When The Beachcombers ended, he started clam and shellfish harvesting.
Pat John died in Sechelt on July 13, 2022, aged 69.