John Fredrick Jella

John Fredrick Jella passed away peacefully on August 3rd, 2026, at the age of 76. He was born in Denver, Colorado, on October 21st, 1949, to Fredrick Dale and Gena Dene Jella, and was one of five siblings raised in the Denver area.

Following his high school graduation, John enlisted in the United States Army in June 1968 and served with the 82nd Airborne Division before deploying to Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. For his service, he received both the Bronze Star Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.

In 1972, John began a career in the overhead door industry and over the next 50 years built a reputation as an entrepreneur, inventor (holding several patents), and industry leader. In 1982, John moved to Arizona with his wife, Cathy, where, along with their friend Mark Spilman, they co-founded Spilman-Jella Manufacturing. This began an entrepreneurial journey in which John eventually owned and sold two highly successful manufacturing companies that would leave a lasting mark on the garage door industry.

While John’s professional accomplishments were extraordinary, they were never what defined him most. He spent countless hours working on many ambitious woodworking projects, and wherever he was or what he was doing, always had a Mountain Dew at hand. He was a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, mentor, and friend whose kindness, sense of humor, quiet confidence, and willingness to help others left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him.

John is survived by his wife, Cathy; daughter, Tenley; son, Kellen and his partner Melissa; brother, Jeff; and his wife, Carol; sisters Jan, JoAnn, and Judy, as well as extended family, nieces, and nephews.

A Celebration of John’s Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on November 7th, 2026, at Green Acres Mortuary & Cemetery, 401 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale, AZ, with a reception to follow.