Charles Lloyd Everett

Jinx Everett died on July 5, 2022 in Grand Junction after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Jinx was Born on February 20, 1933 in Farmington, New Mexico to Charles Leon (Charlie) Everett and Marie Hubbard. His given name is Charles Lloyd Everett but most people know him as Jinx. He spent his childhood on the Everett Dairy, in Farmington, where he and his two brothers learned the value of hard work. This is also where he began his lifelong love for a good dog and horses.

During high school he excelled in sports, particularly track, basketball, and football. The Farmington newspaper nicknamed him “Jack Rabbit Everett” because he could outrun most of his opponents. He later played football for New Mexico Highland University and Brigham Young University.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from BYU and a master’s from Washington State University. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was attending New Mexico Highlands. While attending BYU he met his sweetheart, a tiny farm girl from Vernal Utah, named Fern Richens. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on August 20, 1957. He started his career as a math teacher and high school coach in Lakeside Arizona. Later he became a school administrator. He was the principal at Fruita Junior High where he retired after 20 years. After a short retirement, he went back to work as the principal of the Gateway School for an additional 12 years. He loved working in Gateway because in addition to being the principal he was back in the classroom. He loved teaching. Through the years he mentored many teenagers, going above and beyond what is normally expected in order to help them.

Growing up, when he wasn’t helping with the dairy, he was in the mountains between Silverton and Durango where his parents and his extended family had cabins. There he became an avid outdoorsman and hunter. He shot his first elk when he was 11 and his last when he was 80. It was a great blessing in his life that Fern also loved the outdoors and their favorite times together were at their cabin on the Uncompahgre Plateau or on the trails with their 4-wheelers.

Jinx lived an interesting and eclectic life. He was a cowboy at heart. He loved training horses. In the winter he worked at school but in the summer, he was a cowboy. First working for a couple of large cattle ranches and then for himself, raising pure breed cattle. He respected a man who knew the proper way to build a fence and stack hay. In his opinion those men were hard to find because his standards in those areas were extremely high. He served on the Mesa County Fair Board for many years and also helped run the Colorado State University Bull Test.

He loved his country and was active in the Mesa County Republican party. He loved being a delegate on both the county and state level. He served in the military as a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne, stationed in Augsburg, Germany. He loved aviation and for many years, you could find him on an early morning flight around the Western Slope in his Cessna Aircraft.

Jinx loved photography, wood carving, braiding leather, weaving, writing poetry and keeping a journal. He enjoyed the simple things in life; the early morning before dawn, a cold coke on a hot summer day, a short nap under a tree before getting back to work, and playing cards with his friends. He loved to talk football, politics, cows, philosophy, elk hunting and mostly about his grand kids. He loved his wife, his country, and his dog. He passed that appreciation of simple things to his family, along with a legacy of hard work and love of the outdoors.

Jinx is preceded in death by his daughter Sheralyn, and two brothers Bob and Bert. He is survived by his wife, Fern of Grand Junction, son Reggie (Sandy) of Trapper Creek, Alaska, daughter Shelly (Vern) Howell of Fruita, Five grandchildren Samantha Everett of Fort Wright, Kentucky, Mackenzie Everett (Tyler) of Houston, Texas, Trent (Janae) Howell of Grand Junction, Charley (Valerie) Howell of Fruita, Brandon (Melanie) Howell of Falcon, Colorado, seven great- grandchildren with one on the way.

Services will be Saturday, July 16 at 10:00 AM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2542 G Road, Grand Junction, CO 81505.