Jesus "Joe" Jose Navarro

His father was career military who was a POW during the Korean War. Joe and his mother, who had lived at posts in other areas during his dad's career, had remained in Manitou Springs, CO., and that's where his father retired. Joe's mother, Connie, loved her work and had a busy career working in kitchens and in restaurants for years.

 Manitou Springs and Manitou Springs High School were Joe's special days and memories and he always regaled people with Manitou stories his whole life. He and the friends were always up to shenanigans, racing up and down the narrow streets around the town and collecting coins that fell down through flooring by the creek at the Penny Arcade. He was on the track team at the high school, sprints his favorites, but never quite admitted what he was doing to his mother because she wouldn't allow it, saying she didn't want her son to "get hurt." Instead, he won frequently and he lettered. And his mom was happily thinking he was fishing with friends or climbing hills above Manitou instead. 

During lunch at the high school, Joe and his buddies would head down the hill to downtown Manitou, avoiding school lunches for burgers, fries and shakes at Kenny's, where his mother ran a tab for them, which she dropped by and paid every week. 

 As a teen, Joe worked at Manitou Bottling where he got bottles ready on the line to be filled with the famed Manitou Mineral Water and grape soda. 

In the mid-1960s Joe answered an ad for someone with no experience to be in the photo department at the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph newspaper. Well-known longtime local photographer Stan Payne wanted someone he could train from scratch on the huge Speed Graphic press cameras and how to process the film. 

Photography and Joe were a perfect fit for more than 20 years. His many hundreds of photos were of the city's events, crime scenes, Pikes Peak Range Riders and an incredible number of celebrities including rock stars and groups appearing at the City Auditorium, Broadmoor summer series of stars and in Bob Hope's television specials filmed here. 

In 1970 Joe stood outside barbed wire surrounding an area of Fort Carson and photographed anti-Vietnam War activist Jane Fonda, who, like others including a number of soldiers and families, objected to American troop involvement in an unpopular conflict. The photo also ran in Life magazine.

One photo experience became the source of hilarity and teasing for years. Joe went with the sheriff's team through a rugged area searching for a wanted gunman. That sheriff gave everyone, including photographer Joe one bullet to put in their pockets in case they needed to protect themselves from the dangerous fellow. Joe had a bullet...and a camera but no gun.

Joe added writing and reporting to his career at the paper, including traveling with and writing about the championship Colorado College Tiger hockey teams often made up of future Olympic champions and hockey pros. He was also the outdoor writer and as the military beat writer who wrote stories including from being on board the aircraft carrier Nimitz.

Joe wrote stories and took photos of Olympic sports champions training at the original Broadmoor Ice Palace, and competing at the World Figure Skating Championships. 

Boxing became another of his favorite sports to cover as he followed the life and career of troubled Denver heavyweight Ron Lyle, whose mentor after serving time in prison, was "father of cable television" Bill Daniels. Lyle's 1976 fight against George Foreman was The Ring magazine's Fight of the Year. He lost to Muhammad Ali the year before. 

In1977 Joe was chosen head of the Colorado Springs Press Association. He was honored by Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region for starting a Pet of the Week photo tradition in the newspaper.

In 1981 he was hired by KOAA-TV to write editorials for General Manager John O. Gilbert, which earned them Colorado Broadcasters awards. Not all viewers agreed with the editorials, forcing both John and Joe and families to have police protection for a time, check into hotels and change to unlisted phone numbers.

In the 1990s Joe had careers in public relations, marketing and advertising. He worked at KPIK Radio and worked in marketing and advertising at Fort Carson's MWR and at Colorado Business, was marketing director for Yellow Cab and teamed with Bob Armendariz at the Hispania News newspaper. 

After training Joe chose nonprofit work with those with special needs including at Community Intersections and Goodwill. 

In 1966 Joe had met his future wife, Linda, when she was hired at the newspaper from Missouri as a reporter. They teamed on stories and in life, always close friends for 60 years.

He is survived by son Joel Navarro, daughter Leslie Navarro-Walker, granddaughters Lauren, Lyndi and Liana; and son Randy, wife Susie, and children and grandchildren. 

Graveside family services were in historic Evergreen Cemetery. 

For donations, he had selected the Athletic Department at Manitou Springs High School, site of many of his favorite memories. For checks: 

Manitou Springs High School, 

401 El Monte Place

Manitou Springs, CO 80829

Attn: Manitou Athletics, Joe Navarro, Class of 1962