John’s love for nature and the outdoors was a defining part of his life. He was an avid horseback rider, hiker, fisherman, and hunter. His passion for these activities was matched only by his dedication to excellence. He summited Longs Peak and walked the Poudre River from its source at Milner Pass to the Long Draw area and across the Continental Divide from Bear Lake to Grand Lake. He was also a life-long learner, spending his free time reading and learning about various interests, including animal husbandry, beekeeping, winemaking, fly tying, cooking, birdwatching, gourd art, gold panning, welding and woodworking. His love for nature and the outdoors was well-known among his family and friends.

John loved to travel the country with his lovely wife, Janet. Together, they went on many adventures and visited every state in the Union, Canada and Mexico. The couple went on several road trips to Casa Grande, Arizona. The couple’s last big road trip was to Palisade, Telluride and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in August of 2023. The adventures continued closer to home until right before his passing, as he enjoyed riding around in the car with Janet, providing her with his version of driver’s education.

John graduated from Johnstown High School in 1956 and served four years in the United States Air Force. His commitment to serving his community was evident through his involvement in the Boy Scouts of America as a Webelos leader, various committees in the Johnstown United Methodist Church, and as a Major in the Weld County Sheriff’s Posse, where he participated in several search and rescue missions as well as security duties at the Greeley Stampede. John was a 4-H father and grandfather for a record number of years, supporting Rhonda with her horses, Clint with his shorthorn cattle, Amber with her Dorset sheep, and the Trumble grandchildren with their show pig projects.

As a young man, John worked as a wrangler around Estes Park at liveries owned by Ray and Helen Hayden. He also worked for 17 years at the Great Western Sugar Factory in Johnstown. He retired from the City of Greeley in 2002, where he worked as an instrument technician for the Water Department at the Boyd Lake Plant in Loveland for well over 25 years. He enjoyed over 20 years of retirement, working around the farm and making it a showplace with Janet. The man could fix anything and took pride in his resourcefulness. He was known for his dedication, integrity and exemplary work ethic, which left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him.

John’s legacy lives on through his family and the community he served. He is survived by Janet, his beloved wife of 66 years; and his cherished children, Rhonda Spreng, Clint (Stacy) Liniger, and Amber (Troy) Trumble. His pride and joy were his grandchildren, Jonathan (KayDe) Spreng, Candace (Ross) Lohr, MaKayla Stroh, Cole Trumble, Paige Trumble, John Caden Liniger, Tuc Trumble and Danica Liniger, who brought immense joy to his life. He was also blessed with four great-grandchildren, Charli Spreng, Lexi Lohr, Casey Spreng and Livia Lohr.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Loraine (Cooper) Dillard; his brother, Earl Howard Cooper; his father-in-law, Adam Leinweber; his mother-in-law, Helen (Lenhart) Leinweber; and his son-in-law, Wayne Spreng.

John’s Life Celebration will be held at 10:30 a.m. July 23 at The Johnstown United Methodist Church. The family kindly requests that memorial donations be made to “The Johnstown United Methodist Church” or “Pathways Hospice” in care of Adamson, 2000 47th Avenue, Greeley, Colorado, 80634. Condolences may be shared at Adamson-Cares.com.

John’s warmth, wisdom and generosity will be deeply missed, but his legacy will continue to inspire all who had the privilege of knowing him.