John H. Emory Jr.

      John H. Emory Jr. was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

      John was born on May 10, 1945 at Parkview Hospital in Pueblo, Colorado. His parents were John H. And Mary R. Emory. John was raised in Pueblo, Colorado. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Growing up in the Emory household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, John was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. John was raised with Six Siblings. He had two older sisters, Clara Mae and Mary Ann, three younger sisters, Donna, Helen and one brother, Tom. John was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. John and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but John was always consistently loyal to his family.

      As a young child, John was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. John developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. John took part in Baseball. He was a Cub scout, then a Boy Scout. In his spare time he liked to read comics, playing marbles, drawing, being a cowboy, indian, policeman, fireman and his dog Cristy. John's memorable achievements included achieving the rank of Eagle Scout while in the Boy Scouts. He was a good artist. However, what John enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

      While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of John as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from South High School in 1963. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. He was very active in sports. He played basketball, baseball and football. Football was what he enjoyed the most. In football he played quarterback and safety. He proudly wore the #10 for South High School. John was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. John always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

      College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but John handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, John was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. He seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down his classmates. John was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed his fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served John well during his college experience. He earned his Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Fire Science. His favorite courses were HazMat (Hazardous Material). John acheived 4.0 GPA.

      Always considered to be a solid friend, John was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, John was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for John to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of his best friends were #1 Dennie Coet, Bill Porter, Charlie Burbidge and just about everyone he met. Later in life, he became best friends with Raymond Jones.

       He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment.

      John brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. John was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. John was blessed with Two, One son, John Marty. He also had one daughter, Johnna Lou, who died shortly after birth.

      John greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. John enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, John was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was Fireman. He was employed for 34 years by the Pueblo city fire Department. He retired as Assistant Fire Chief #1. John worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      John liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, John always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were coin collecting, drawing cars, traveling, playing games and being with the guys. John was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

      John found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, John played baseball, basketball and football. Recreational sports included Golf and Baseball. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, and basketball. He loved the NFL and college games. He was a Notre Dame fan.

      Many organizations were grateful to have John as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, John was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. In high school, John was a member of the Boy Scouts. Throughout his later years, John was an active member of the Elks Lodge #90, Eagle Aerie #145, Steel City Eagles Aerie #3367, Western Fire Chiefs Association, Fire Marshalls Association of Colorado, National fire Protection Association International and the Association of Firefighters.

      As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in, it’s little wonder that John was so active in his community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, John preferred to base his decisions on first-hand experiences. John was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. John was a member of several community groups, including serving on committees for the Elks Lodge #90.

      John was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of St. Mary's Church. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

      John sought out practical solutions, not individual recognition. He was always grounded and objective, feeling a strong sense of responsibility for taking care of what needed to be done. This selfless attitude earned John many accolades for his efforts and achievements. Some of his most prestigious awards included reaching the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. He was the first fireman the Pueblo Fire Department to receive the Fire Science Degree, 4.0 GPA.

      John enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with John appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, John always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included trip to Ireland with friend Dennie, and his sister and brother-in-law, Donna and Dale.

      John was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of John’s favorites was Zeke, a Cocker Spaniel Dog. They were best friends for 13 years. His family was rounded out by his cat, Rocky and as young boy his dog Smokey.

      When John’s retirement finally arrived in 2004, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. He retired in Pueblo, Colorado. In retirement, he found new pleasure in golf, watching sports, hanging out with friends, gaming trips and travel. Even in retirement, John continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

      John H. Emory Jr. passed away on January 7, 2010 at Pueblo, Colorado. John fought a brave battle against cancer. He is survived by his son, Johnny Emory (Robbin), borther tom (Gina) and sisters Donna (Dale) Dinsmore, Mary Ann (Jim) DeFrece, Nancy Emory, Helen (Butch) Harbour and numerous nieces, nephews and other family members. Also survived by two very dear friends, Dennie Coet and Bill Porter. Services were held at Saint Mary's Catholic Church. John was laid to rest in Imperial Memorial Gardens in Pueblo, Colorado.

      Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of John H. Emory Jr. he was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.