The ALS Network Honors the Life and Legacy of John Krave

A former ALS Network board chair, John Krave passed away on March 25, 2025, following a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer. He was integral to the growth and evolution of our organization, serving in a volunteer leadership role since the early 2000s. John generously shared his time and talents as a steadfast supporter of the ALS Network’s mission-critical activities. 

He participated in the passage of multiple organizational strategic plans during his tenure, helping to hire Fred Fisher in 2003, and later navigating the merger of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter and Greater Bay Area Chapters of the ALS Association to form the Golden West Chapter (now ALS Network). He served on the board of the ALS Association, and was supportive of the decision of the ALS Network to separate from the national organization. An attorney by profession, John served as Senior Counsel at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, and was instrumental in introducing our multidisciplinary model of care to Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, and paved the way for Kaiser’s expansion of the model to Northern California and Hawaii. 

John, along with his wife, Joan, were powerful advocates for improving access to care and advancing the search for cures by participating in federal advocacy initiatives. Over the decades, John, Joan, and their daughter, Meagan, participated in and supported countless outreach and special events to benefit the ALS community. 

One example came in 2015. John, like millions of others, joined the global Ice Bucket Challenge by recording a video to help raise awareness of the disease via social media. His humility and humanity are showcased as he challenges friends and colleagues to join him. 

John will be remembered for his compassion, focus, clarity, and humor. His contributions as a volunteer and supporter of the ALS community will continue to have a lasting impact, as will his dedication to helping people live longer and better with ALS. John was a thoughtful leader, trusted confidante, and good friend to the ALS community; he will be deeply missed by those who knew him.