Reverend John P. Foreman

John was born on October 11, in Schenectady, New York, son of Helen Parrott Foreman and Arthur R. Foreman. He graduated from high school at the Albany Academy in Albany, New York, in 1958, and from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, in 1962. He received his Master of Theology Degree in 1965 and his Doctorate of Ministry Degree in 1979 from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO. He was ordained an Elder in the United Methodist Church in 1967. At that time he was serving a church in the Pacific Northwest Conference of the UMC in Monroe, Washington.

When John was a student at the Iliff School of Theology, he was a weekend pastor for churches in Hanna and Medicine Bow, Wyoming, and always loved telling stories about the wonderful people he met during his time there. After his service in Monroe, Washington, John joined the Navy and was a chaplain at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital. Since he had been a Philadelphia Phillies fan since his childhood, he really enjoyed living close to the Phillies stadium where he spent much of his spare time! Following his work in Philadelphia, John was a Navy Chaplain from December of 1969 until October 1970 with the “Thundering Third” Fourth Division of the Marine Corps in Okinawa and Vietnam.

After John’s service in the Navy, he returned to the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Methodist Church where he served many churches: Montclair UMC in Denver, Lakewood UMC and Green Mountain UMC in Lakewood, Salida UMC of Salida, First UMC of Laramie in Laramie, WY, and First United Methodist Church in Grand Junction, CO. At the 1987 Rocky Mountain Annual Conference in Fort Collins John met Jean Smith, who was an associate pastor at the Arvada UMC. They were marred in November of 1991. Together they served at the First United Methodist Church in Grand Junction, CO, from 1994 until they both retired in 2002.

After retirement, John and Jean remained in Grand Junction and did lots of traveling: three world cruises with Holland America Line, a cruise around South America to Antarctica and back, a trip to the Galapagos Islands, a trip to South Africa and the game parks, a wonderful three week train trip across Russia from Moscow in the west to Vladivostok on the east coast. John loved hiking in the Colorado Mountains and climbed all of the “Fourteeners” in his earlier years. After retirement, John and Jean continued hiking and going on backpacking trips in the mountains. Another of John’s hobbies was collecting model trains with which he built a very large, magnificent model railroad. He was a wonderful story teller with a crazy sense of humor which kept his family, friends and colleagues laughing. He often responded to others’ stories saying, “Oh my!” or “Oh boy!’ Many family members and friends find themselves automatically repeating those phrases!

Though John said he was retired, he actually began working at Martins Mortuary the day after his retirement from the church. There he did funeral services, visitations, removals and whatever else was needed. Later he worked for many years at Callahan Edfast-Mortuary. John always was a determined and hard worker. The last funeral at which he officiated was the week before his death, even though he was on chemo. His very last official act was to give the invocation and the benediction at the Memorial Day Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Cemetery four days before his sudden death.

John is survived by his wife, Jean H. Foreman; his brother, Richard Foreman (Ginny) of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; Jean’s children who called him Papa John, Andrew Smith (Audrey), Scott Smith, Kristin Smith and Wendy Smith of Evergreen, CO; seven step-grandchildren, Catie, Ethan, Annie and Skylar Smith, Brooke Hebert, Jesse and Nova Badrena; and his three nephews, Richard, Andrew and Robert Foreman. An eighth grandchild, Tyler Smith, who was blind and autistic, and had a very special relationship with his “Papa John”, predeceased him in 2016.

“In this rapidly changing world” we all say “adios” to John, using phrases he often used!

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, June 18 at 11:00 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 522 White Avenue, in Grand Junction, and live-streamed for those who cannot attend at www.fumcgj.org. There will be a short Military Honors burial and committal service on June 27 at 10:00 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery at 2830 Riverside Parkway.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.callahan-edfast.com for the Foreman family.