John Michael Berry

Spread love and joy as easily as breathing. He never met a stranger.....some of them just didn't know they were a friend yet. John was born John Michael Berry in Boulder, Colorado to his mother Lara. His true father, Robert Steven Downey preceded him in death.

John died January 5, 2024 in a tragic car accident in northern Colorado. He was 36.

John loved life and genuinely loved people in a way most could feel in just talking with him. He was always happy and pleased to be able to help someone else and gathered great joy from seeing others succeed. He loved the world and exploring it with a joy he shared simply being who he was. One of the ways he shared that joy was by his pranks. He liked making people laugh, but he could lead you up the garden path for the fun of seeing your expression change when you realized he was kidding.

John was such a happy child he earned the nickname “Sunshine” for the joy he brought and the happiness he radiated. He kept his mother on her toes with a curiosity and thirst to explore that led him to climb shelves even before he could walk! That quest for knowledge both inside and outside of himself never stopped. His explorations of the physical world led him to many places.

He found his career fulfillment when he found plumbing. His pleasure in the work itself and the fact that it was both a very necessary service and a help to others had him rockin' through his days. He also loved the challenges the work itself presented. The rest of the work in his life brought him various skills (like cooking – he made brilliant meals) but plumbing became his avocation as well as his occupation. The craft and work brought him an outlet to express his values. He had very high standards of skill and craftmanship.

The curiosity that had him climbing shelves to see what they held never lessened. He loved his gardens and the fellowship it brought to his door when someone would ask what he was growing. He went hiking and camping every chance he got. He was always open to a new experience and an adventure, shared or solo, always gave him pleasure. Because of this, he also greatly enjoyed travel and would communicate with anyone on his trips, whether or not they shared a language or culture in common. As soon as he returned from one trip, he was looking forward to the next. In particular, he loved desert country and planned to revisit the Grand Canyon as soon as he could. He was also deeply affected by his travels in China and Tibet with his grandmother at the age of 17, and told her that since he returned from that trip, every decision in his life had been colored by what he had seen and learned there.

John was part of a large and loving family spanning several generations. He is survived by many of them, the closest being his mother, Lara Downey, his brother Mark Downey and wife Shealene along with their 3 children Caiden, Amelia and Calla, and his sister Stephanie Downey and her husband Zach along with their son Ace and Kirsten Sanchez who in his heart was his daughter.

John’s outlook on life was one of great openness and love. He tended more toward Eastern philosophy and believed in the formative power of mind and attitude. It was very important for him to focus on gratitude for the good things in his life and appreciation of its beauties. He had recently found what he believed to be his true spiritual path. Characteristically, he gave it his whole heart and since embracing that path, he positively glowed with joy and love.

Services will be held on Monday, January 15, 2024 at 1:00 pm at Ahlberg Funeral Chapel, 326 Terry Street in Longmont.

John preferred things be allowed their life cycle so please – plant a tree, grow some veggies or some clover to remember him by in lieu of flowers

Donations to help the family with the costs of the service are gratefully accepted.