James Kevin Sewell

Kevin was a gentle giant of a man with a heart as big as his native Texas. A devoted family man, Kevin was happiest spending time with his wife Barbara and his children, Tamara and David. He made sure, every day, that they felt his love and knew how important they were to him. It showed in the little things: the daily Starbucks coffee for his wife, the goofy songs he'd sing with his kids in the car on the way home from school, the countless little gestures he'd think of to make their lives easier or more fun. He was always ready with a hug or an encouraging word, and he always put their needs before his own.

Kevin's light-hearted spirit and gentle sense of humor could make any day fun, and he loved to make people laugh. He might tease you, but always with a twinkle in his eye. For many of his students at Platte River Academy, where he worked as a coach for more than a decade, teasing from Kevin was better than praise from other teachers. Kevin enjoyed every second of his time with his students, and he excelled at finding innovative ways to encourage them to be active. His classes were the ones kids wanted to attend; he made athletics fun for everyone. He strived to develop a varied curriculum, so that even the biggest couch potatoes could find activities they enjoyed. In addition to coaching basketball, volleyball, and soccer, Kevin brought a climbing wall and a bicycle program to the school. His pride and joy was his Hexathlon team. The first year Kevin brought a group of students to the track and field event, they didn't make a very good showing. But he kept working with the kids - training and encouraging them - and the next year his team dominated the event. As his students would run laps around the track and rounded that final corner, Kevin would meet them at the sidelines and run the last leg of the race with them, shouting encouragement the whole while. Then he'd run back to the corner so that he could repeat the process with the next student heading for the finish line.

In 2012, he and Barbara started their own business, providing private assisted living for the elderly. Kevin brought the same passion and caring to that job as he did to his teaching career. It was just his nature to make all of his "grandmas" and "grandpas" felt special and loved.

Friends and family will remember Kevin as their "go-to" guy: the man always willing to help out a friend or a stranger, with any problem big or small. If you needed help moving, Kevin had a truck and strong back to help you. No stranger stranded on the side of the road would stay stranded long if Keven happened to be passing by. He'd give you a ride, change your tire, or single-handedly push your stalled car out of a busy intersection. If he happened to see a woman struggling to lug a heavy suitcase up the stairs, he'd stop whatever he was doing to carry it for her. He never thought about getting any recognition for these acts; that was just the kind of guy he was.

He loved to stay busy, and he could build anything, fix anything, cook anything. He loved to have the neighbors over for Texas-style beef brisket. In the summertime, he liked to return to Texas to tube down the Frio or Guadalupe rivers.

Kevin was born in Corpus Christi, TX, on May 11, 1963, the only child of Shirley Smith Sewell and Vernon Lewis Sewell. He attended Gregory Portland High School in Portland, TX, where his 6-foot, 7-inch height ensured him a place on the basketball team. He also loved track, and lettered in both sports. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in kinesiology from the University of Houston and a Master of Education Administration from the University of Phoenix.

He married Barbara in 1983 and they moved to Colorado in 1996. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, his daughter, Tamara, his son, David, and his mother, Shirley.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept.19, at the Jubilee Fellowship Church, 8200 Southpark Circle, Littleton CO 80120. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, afsp.org.