John was a friend and valued source for me.  I will always have fond memories of him.  God Bless his family for their loss.

How can we possibly sum up the impact John had on our lives? Lee met John at New Trier High School and volumes could be written about those days, but they both grew up to become wonderful men. I first met John through Lee and he became my favorite of Lee's friends. When John was on the road, he called and I would talk to him for an hour and then turn the phone over to Lee who would talk for another hour laughing at times and then serious, always ending with an, ""I love you, man."" I was touched by the love they had for eachother and amused by how quickly they could regress. When my daughter, Krystel, decided to go to college in WA, our travels always included a stop thru Golden to see John, Leigh and Kids. The fact that he adored his children was beyond question. He praised and bragged about them so much that we hardly had a chance to talk about our own child! Krystel celebrated her ""birth week"" in Denver two years ago. John took her and entourage in and watched over them like a mother hen. Krystel adored him and considered him a friend and confidant for always. Her grief is as great as ours.  John's winning attributes infected everyone who knew him. His intelligence surpassed many of ours. His success as a businessman in the industry will always be remembered via his achievements and the respect he earned. His most endearing contribution to our personal lives was his true love for his children, family and friends and animals. Only a few months ago, he welcomed Lee and I into his abode saying there was plenty of room. (How John was that)! He was strong for all of us from beginning to end. We feel so much for you Nan, Pam, JT and kids. What a gift he was and will always be so in our hearts.

I met John R. Bogardus the day he and I arrived in Las Vegas to attend UNLV.  He got out of a green Volkswagon bug, reached in back, and pulled out an Alaskan Malamute pup who had made the trip from Steamboat, Colorado with him.
John and I became the best of friends.  We were room mates at UNLV from 1969-1972. Those were great days.  I was there to play basketball and he was there to re-shape the hotel industry.
After college we both went our separate ways, but stayed in close contact.  When my money ran out, he got me a job in Dallas working for his father at Las Colinas Country Club.  We were re-united !! More years of fun and the arrival of my soon to be wife, Carla. We ran together for more years and then Carla and I moved back to Seattle in 1979.
We all stayed in touch from then on, skiing in Aspen, duck hunting in Washington, pheasant hunting in South Dakota, attending Ducks Unlimited Auctions in Seattle etc.....great days, great times, too short.
We communicated regularly by phone over the last 2 years of his life. He never complained. He never lost his great attitude for life. He was my best friend.  I loved him. I will miss him.  Al Clise

My close friend Gary Brown introduced John to me and He brought a sense of balance to my life, We shared many things the Love of our Children and the funny stories that surround them. We shared the comedy of the Industry that was our choise to enter, and we shared the closeness of the cancer experience and the good and bad. I do know that Joh had made peace with his higher power as several of our discusssions seemed up talking about the enevetable. I miss his sense of humor and positive outlook on life, He shared some intimate details and I know the thing He will miss the most is being a part of the growth of his two children. He is in a better place and pain free now and I was blessed to share a part of his life.

I feel like I knew JRB Jr. my entire life. While we only met in 1969 our parents were friends from Cornell and later the hotel scene in Chicago. John Sr., Nan and my folks would share stories of their son's escapades and we finally met while attending UNLV. We loved fast cars, motorcycles, guns, girls, parties and ended up as college roomates. We caught up in many cities over the years and always picked up right where we left off. I was delighted John and I spent some time together last year while he was here in Williamsburg. I feel a deep sense of loss with his passing. He was a special pal and I will remember his quick wit, smile and our constant laughter when together.

To John's Family,
I just learned of John's untimely death this afternoon.  Word is spreading through the hotel community. I am so sorry and send my heartfelt sympathy to all.
I met John in 1972 at the Alameda Plaza Hotel in Kansas City.  He was so much fun and so funny, he was a treat to work with.  I met up with him again 1995 when I was looking for a job and a friend of ours put us together.  He was just as fun and funny 23 years later.
My wish for you is that time will ease the pain a bit...He talked about his Dad often..I think of them as together now.
Gloria Gaddis

Dear Nancy, Pam, and Philip and Katherine,
I am so very sorry for your loss of an extraordinary part of your family.
I have been blessed to have had John as a good friend to me and to Al for 30 + years and he has a part of our heart that will unlikely ever be able to be filled up again. John was a person who above all, loved his family and friends. He sent pictures of his children on a regular basis with captions about their various achievements, and was SO PROUD of them and loved them dearly.  He spoke about his love of his mother and sister as well and  of his ""life"" with genuine gratitude.
I met John through Al when I first moved to Dallas, Texas in 1975. Al and John had been room mates at UNLV and have been best of friends ever since. From the first time I met John at Las Colinas Country Club for dinner that first night, he greeted me with open arms and a loving heart. John had a way of making anyone and everyone around him feel totally comfortable. His kindness, humor, and love of life created an aura that exuded warmth.
He has faced his battle with Cancer with grace and dignity and without complaint. He has been an inspiration to us in every way. He has been an powerful force in the hotel industry.  John will be greatly missed as our friend but his memory will stay fresh in our minds always.  God bless

To John's family and children and all those who loved him. John and I were friends from 1972 as he was just out of college and an apprentice for Mr. Pistilli at the Alameda Plaza Hotel and I was middle aged so I became John's Mother Teresa to help keep all the young girls there from attack. He always was the most handsome in the industry. and most passionate about the hotel business. After he left I became genr. mgr of the Raphael Hotel, new boutique concept at that time and John and I always kept in contact. I was made hotelier of the year in K.C. in l994 and he and Leigh came to my awards dinner/of which we shared many stories.  He was so proud of his family, always sending me a picture every Xmas.Always called on New Years to see how my health was since I am 75, never mentioning his illness this last year so I am filled with sadness to lose a wonderful friend at such a young age. WE all loved him at the Alameda Plaza. God Bless all his family, who he adored.

We recieved our Christmas card from John this year just like every year since 1983.  I knew how sick John was.  It seemed exceptional that he was able take the time and effort to send cards.  My wife, also John's friend commented, ""that's John, that's who John is.""  John came from Austin to Denver in 1982 and we worked together and shared some great experiences.  In June 1983 we lost an old dog that we were very close to for 13 years.  Two days later John showed up at our door with an 8 week old Golden Retriver.  ""That's John, that's who John is"".  It is said that when you die everything you did for yourself dies with you, but everything you did for others lives forever.  John has a lot of stuff that will live forever.  We extend our sincere to sympathy John's family.

My deepest sympathy and prayers go to your family.  I met John when he let me share his home with Lee Ann Macdonald in Steamboat Springs, Co. after dropping out of college.  I had lost my true love in the Vietnam war, and his heart, generosity, & love helped me in the beginning of a new, carefree life, skiing and playing in Steamboat.  He was surrounded by friends and was always keeping us laughing & loving.  He will be truly missed by all of us who had the honor of knowing him.  My sincere condolences go out to you, and fond memories of his sincere smile and giving heart will always be in my heart.
Char (Mooney) Irish, 287 N.Main, Dietrich, ID 83324.  charirish@hotmail.com

I am stunned and saddened by John's passing.  John was instrumental in the acquisition and renovation of this property in 1992.  I will always remember his lazy smile, wry sense of humor and passion for his job and his family.  John was always honest with me, sometimes brutally so.  I respected that.  If you heard it from John, you knew it to be true.  I had not heard from him in years, but as is common in this industry, he was thought of often, and spoken about in conversation.  I cannot imagine how difficult this is for John's Mother, and I wish her my best.  Please extend my heartfelt sympathy to John's children, sister and  family.  I hope John will find the rest that escaped him in this world, and will live with our heavenly father in eternal peace.

As a former teacher and long-time
supporter of his career, I join in
celebrating his accomplishments.
Jerry Vallen

OBITUARY

John R. Bogardus,

December 31, 1969 – April 15, 2005

Allnutt Funeral & Cremation - Macy

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