Professor Bost is married to Jennifer M. Bost. They met in Sierra Leone, West Africa, in 1967 when he was serving in the Peace Corp and she was serving as a British volunteer. John taught science at a small teachers training college, so small that he was the entire science department. Jenny taught English literature and French language at the high school across the street from the college. They married shortly after they met.

After their two years service was completed they spent six months in Holmfirth (the Yorkshire Dales), England, where John got to meet her family. They then traveled across Europe in an old Austin mini-van the size of a breadbox. Destination, Greece, where they stayed for six weeks.

By August of 1970, John was enrolled at Hastings College of the Law, University of California, and Jenny was working as a clerk at a pharmacy in the business district of San Francisco. By the following year, Jenny was working on her Masters in Special Education (teaching the visually handicapped). They both graduated in May of 1973. John passed the bar exam that summer and Jenny landed a teaching job with San Dieguito Union High School district in North San Diego County.

After a few years of private practice in a small Encinitas law firm, John started teaching at San Diego State in 1979. He continues to do a very limited law practice, mostly estate and gift taxation (return preparation and audits), with a few wills and trusts for friends and faculty.

They have two daughters.  Heather earned a BS in Chemistry, with a Bio-Chemistry emphasis from the University of California, Santa Cruz in June of 2000.  She is working on her masters in environmental health at the University of Washington (from banana slug to husky).  Laura is Graduating in June and plans to teach high school or community college math and physics.  On Valentine's Day, 2003, she became engaged to Dan Zieber (computer guy from Santa Cruz now working at the Palomar Observatory).

Professor Bost has a law degree from Hastings College of the Law, University of California, (1973), a Master of Science (emphasis taxation) from SDSU (1979), and an Bachelors in Science (Zoology) from SDSU (1967).

He presently serves on the Taxation Law Advisory Commission (three year term that started Oct. 1999). The Taxation Law Advisory Commission Advises and assists the California Board of Legal Specialization in the administration of the taxation law certification program; passes upon applications for certification and re-certification as a legal specialist; prepares specialist examinations; evaluates and accredits programs of continuing legal education; and otherwise assists the Board of Legal Specialization in administering the program.

Starting January of 1994, he served three years as one of the seven members of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards' Board of Examiners. Each member was a recognized expert in one of the examine's content areas. Of course his was in estate planning. In 1996, he was elected the Chair of the Board of Examiners, and as Chair was also an ex-officio member of the CFP governing board.