John McKinney Yeager

June 12, 1940 – August 18, 2024

John M. Yeager was born June 12, 1940, in Ames, Iowa, moving to Boulder in March, 1941, when his father, James J. “Gentleman Jim” Yeager became the head football coach at the University of Colorado.

Educated in the Boulder public schools he graduated from Boulder High School in 1958, from the University of Oklahoma in 1962 with a degree in petroleum engineering and from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1965.

He was a National Merit Scholar, president of his chapter of Beta Theta Pi social fraternity, a member of Sigma Tau honorary engineering fraternity, Pi Epsilon Tau honorary petroleum engineering fraternity, Editor in Chief of the University of Colorado Law Review and a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy serving on active duty with the Judge Advocate General Corps from 1965 to 1968. He spent one year as law clerk to the U.S. District Court in Butte, Montana, and during the years 1971 through 1980 served as Gilpin County attorney.

John worked his way through college and law school with kitchen jobs during the school year and with summer jobs in the oil fields of Wyoming and Montana as a roughneck, roustabout and field engineer. Being a lawyer seemed like good work compared to throwing spinning chain on morning tour after pulling a wet stand in a driving rain.

In 1970 he co-founded the law firm in Boulder which ultimately became known as Hurth, Yeager, Sisk & Blakemore. During his nearly 40 years with the firm he transitioned his practice many times as the needs of his clients required. As a litigator in the 1970s and 1980s he tried cases at all levels of the state courts and federal district court, and represented or appeared in, or both, over half of the counties in the state.

He was counsel of record in approximately a dozen reported decisions in the Colorado appellate courts. He handled business and real estate transactions, corporate matters both domestic and international, oil and gas and zoning matters. In addition, he did estate planning and probate work for several decades and advised clients on legal, financial and personal matters. He also taught courses at the University of Colorado Business School and the School of Law.

Over the years John served his community as an involved member of the board of directors of numerous institutions including Boulder Community Hospital, Frasier Meadows Manor and Colorado Chautauqua Association.

John married Marsha Baer, a law school classmate, in 1966. Marsha became Boulder County’s first female deputy district attorney and thereafter Boulder’s first female County Judge, serving over 20 years in the latter position. Together they raised three children, Heidi Yeager Singh (Niten), Mercer Island, WA, Molly Yeager Romano (Greg), Bernardsville, NJ, and James Yeager (Elle), Ashburn, VA. During their marriage they traveled the world from Europe to Central Asia, India, Africa and the far East, Central and South America.

As was typical of his generation growing up in Boulder, John regularly fished and skied in the mountains west of town which he continued to do all his life. He was also an inveterate reader, broadly and deeply in many areas of interest, an accomplished investor and most importantly, a family man in every sense of the word who cared deeply about his children and grandchildren. He met his obligations every day.

After a brief illness, on August 18, 2024, he died peacefully as he wished, with his family at his side telling stories of the multitude of adventures together. His was a life well lived.

John is survived by Marsha, his children and six grandchildren: Eden Singh, Jack Singh, Katelin Romano, Will Romano, Jackie Yeager and Sophie Yeager.

At his request there will be no public service.