John Edward Duckworth

John Edward Duckworth passed away on Aug. 7, 2026, in Collierville, Tennessee, after a valiant battle against cancer. He was 77. Born in Colorado on March 17, 1949, John was the oldest son of the late George and Millie Duckworth.

A gifted athlete, one of John’s favorite childhood memories centered around winning the 1966 Colorado Class AAA state high school football championship game with the Wheat Ridge Farmers. They defeated the Denver George Washington Patriots 12-6 on Dec. 3, 1966.

John attended the University of Colorado on a track and field scholarship. Following graduation, he proudly served as a member of the U.S. Army and was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany.

In 1979, he married the love of his life, Amy (Anderson). While living in Colorado, their son, Brandon, arrived on the scene. They eventually moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and the family welcomed daughter Amanda. John’s kindness and love of his family was known to one and all. He also was an unwavering fan of the Denver Broncos and University of Colorado Buffaloes through thick and thin.

John was a dedicated salesman at Southwestern Distributing Co. for decades. After he retired, he worked for Comfort Keepers as a way to stay social and help others. His optimistic spirit was appreciated by so many.

Last May, John was proud to become Grandpa Duckie to his first grandson, Kai George Duckworth. Getting to see Kai take some of his first steps this summer was a highlight of his long and well-lived life.

John is survived by his spouse of 46 years, Amy, and his children Brandon (Christie Young) and Amanda. He also leaves behind his siblings, Barb Duckworth (Doris Ervin) and Robert Duckworth (Nancy Irwin Kinkaid), as well as his stepmother, Mary Jo Duckworth.

A celebration of life will be held Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. at Candlewyck in Denver. On Sept. 21, there will be a military funeral at Fort Logan National Cemetery at 9:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm, https://oldfriendsequine.org, in memory of John Duckworth.