John Lewis Lewellen

Funeral Services will be held at Atonement Lutheran Church, 6281 W Yale Ave, on May 23, 2017 at 10:30 am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Atonement Lutheran Church in memory of John Lewellen.

John Lewis Lewellen, 84, passed away on May 4, 2017, at Sunrise Assisted Living Center in Denver. John was born October 28, 1932 at the family home in Westport, Indiana. John grew up on the family farm with brothers Marvin and Bill and sisters Alice, Letty and Mary. He attended Jackson High School in Westport, Indiana and graduated in 1950.

His athletic abilities in both Basketball and Baseball earned him a scholarship to attend Indiana Central University in Indianapolis. After two years of studies John and his best friend Bob Oldham decided to join the Coast Guard. John was stationed on the Planetree and traveled the Pacific Ocean, spending time in Guam and the Philippines. During his time in the Coast Guard John was also stationed in Hawaii and New York City. After completing his 4 years of service John returned to Indianapolis and completed his degree in business at Indiana Central.

While in Indianapolis John met the love of his life, Barbara Henninger. After a whirlwind romance John and Barbara married on September 12, 1959 at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Indianapolis. John and Barbara settled in Columbus, Indiana and were blessed with three children, Michael in 1960, Brad in 1962, and Diane in 1967. In September 1969 John and Barbara decided to move to Denver and they settled in Bear Valley.

Soon after moving to Denver John joined the Career Services department with the City and County of Denver. During his tenure with Career Services, John obtained a Masters Degree in Urban Affairs from the University of Colorado at Denver. John retired in 1994 after 22 years of service with the City and County of Denver. In retirement, John and Barbara spent time traveling to many different locations including many extended visits to Port Aransas, Texas. John was also very engaged with his grandchildren and loved to spend time with them and watching them participate in sports and theatre.

John is survived by his wife of 57 years, Barbara, his sons Michael (Michelle), Brad and his daughter Diane (Greg) Carlson, and grandchildren Bryan and John Carlson, and Laura Lewellen and a sister Mary McClintic who resides in Tennessee. He was preceded in death by his parents Harry and Josephine, brothers Marvin and Bill, sisters Alice and Letty, and grandson Evan Carlson.

Funeral Services will be held at Atonement Lutheran Church, 6281 W Yale Ave, on May 23, 2017 at 10:30 am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Atonement Lutheran Church in memory of John Lewellen.