John Milford Haley

Services will be at 11 a.m. Oct. 20, at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church.

Mr. Haley was a district manager.

He is survived by his wife, Arlene; three sons, Milford Haley of Cedar City, Utah, Christopher Koch of Erie, and Damon Koch of Wylie, Texas; three daughters, Janeane Haley and Geraldine Taylor, both of Denver, and Carma Lepinski of Gunnison; two brothers, Steven Haley of Cortez and Leonard Hawkes of Illinois; 15 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions to HopeWest and Hospice Care Center, 3090B N. 12th St., Grand Junction, 81506.

John M. Haley

February 7, 1931 - October 11, 2015

John was born in Durango to Jesse Leroy and Letitia Haley. He was the fourth of seven children. His childhood was in the Norwood area, and when he was ten he worked in the Lone Cone Restaurant in the mornings before school to pay for his and his two brothers' school lunches. When he was 13, he herded sheep in the Mt. Wilson and Mt. Sunshine areas. His pay was $5.00 a week.

He graduated from Norwood High School in 1948, and worked for San Miguel County. He then went to Craig and Meeker to work for the R.E.A. as a lineman.

In 1949, he married Betty Cotter and to this union four children were born. They later divorced. From Meeker he moved to the Flat Tops by Naturita and in 1952, he moved to Salida, CO, where he worked for the R.E.A. as a lineman. In 1952, he started working for Public Service Company of Colorado and moved to Leadville in July 1952.

In 1957 he moved to Dillon and lived in the old town of Dillon and put the first five street lights in Frisco, CO. The town of Silverthorne was formed in 1958, and he installed their first street lights.

His 42 year career with PSCO progressed through being a local service rep to District manager and manager of facilities.

He was a pilot and flew his Cherokee 180 with his brother to Alaska. He was a Ham Radio Operator KØCOI for over 50 years, and got his Extra Class license at age 81.

On April 29, 1979, he married his soul mate, Arlene Koch, and gained two sons he called his own. He was a gentle, kind man and did what he said he would do…a man of true integrity.

He ATV'd with the Western Slope ATV Association and rode over 36,000 miles on three different machines. He said that was a lot of butt bumping and enjoyed every minute of it.

He was a member of the Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church and the local ham radio club.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister; three brothers, and one grandson. He is survived by his wife of 36 years; his four children; two step-sons; two brothers; 15 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

He will be greatly missed by his wife, family, and friends.