John Driver Lyle

John Driver Lyle left this life on January 18, 2026, in Fort Collins, Colorado at the age of 88. He passed quietly and at peace, as he had wanted. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Georgia Robin (Grimes) Lyle; his daughter Peggy Lyle and her husband Christopher McCullough and daughter Jody Lyle and her husband Mark Bixby. John’s family were with him throughout his last few weeks and shared their love and affection with this fine man. He will live on in their memories and in untold lives he touched throughout his long, productive, and successful life. John was respected by all who knew him and inspired by his generosity, skill, wisdom, and boundless curiosity . John was born on the sixteenth of October 1937 in Pecos, Texas. The only child of Lois Reba (Panton) Lyle and Edward Hayes Lyle, Jr. (both deceased), he spent his earliest years in Wink, Texas where his father was a physician and had a small hospital. John’s mother, originally from Oklahoma, was a registered nurse and became a well-known southwestern painter and artist. After WWII, the family settled in the north valley of Albuquerque, NM where John started school. He grew up enjoying an active rural life, walking to school with friends, riding horses, fishing, trapping beavers and swimming in the irrigation ditches. He loved dancing, competing in rodeos,and being a part of FFA. He made many life-long friends in high school and graduated from Valley High School in 1956. His connections to many of those friends continued throughout his life. He attended New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, receiving a BS Degree in 1960. He had majored in Range Management and Pre-Medical Biology and was subsequently accepted to graduate school at the University of Arizona, conducting research in plant pathology. In 1962, John was accepted to Colorado State University’s Veterinary School in Fort Collins Colorado. His love of animals and the natural ability to “fix” things would become his life’s work as a small animal veterinarian. In addition to the demanding academic program in Vet School, John was recruited as a “roper” in the Veterinary Anatomy Department. Roping mule deer for research projects demanded his unique rodeo talents. Veterinary surgery and clinical medicine were his special interests, and he took every opportunity to gain practical experience. He received the Small Animal Clinician Award in his senior year. John took an internship with an active mixed-animal practice in Yuma, Arizona where in the blistering heat, he treated everything from cattle and family pets to birds and exotic animals. Having already been drafted several times during college, John made the decision to pre-enlist in the US Air Force and serve in the Veterinary Corps after his graduation. He held a 2nd Lieutenant’s commission during his senior year in veterinary school. In June 1965, John married Georgia “Robin” Grimes, of Fort Collins. Sandwiched between the last day of classes, John’s birddog puppies, Robin’s graduate research and his internship in Yuma, they were wed in Danforth Chapel on Oval at CSU. Robin’s parents hosted a beautiful family reception at their home in Fort Collins. John received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1966. He said the hardest thing he did in Vet School was “studying for state veterinary board exams after graduation”. He was successfully board certified and licensed in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Shortly after graduation John headed off to Air Force “boot camp” in Texas, where he and other medical professionals trained to become soldiers. And by fall Lieutenant Lyle was stationed at Hahn Air Force Base in Germany as the Base Veterinarian. His primary responsibility for this TAC Fighter Base was the health and care of a detachment of sentry dogs that guarded a squadron of fighter jets. He and his veterinary hospital staff also supervised food inspections and facilities connected with the base. In addition, he provided veterinary services for the pet animals of military families. Great practical experience for a new veterinarian! John, Robin, and their two German Shorthair Pointers lived in the quiet village of Morsdorf. They spent every spare moment taking in the local culture, traditions, making friends and traveling around Europe. It was a romantic and memorable time for a young couple after years of school and intense focus. In their second year, he was promoted to Captain and they began to plan in earnest for their future. John designed plans for a Veterinary Hospital of his own. When he was discharged back to the US in 1968, they were ready for the next chapter. Cedarwood Small Animal Clinic opened its doors for business in May 1969 in Santa Fe, NM. John’s hospital received the January 1970 “Animal Hospital Design Award” from Veterinary Economics. The practice grew quickly and eventually kept three veterinarians very busy. He was especially proud of that accomplishment and said modestly, “I had a very successful practice in that hospital until I retired in 1996”. Dr. Lyle served in numerous professional roles throughout his career including the NM State Veterinary board and the local Veterinary Association. He organized several conferences and reunions and was CSU Class of 1966 Agent. John and his CSU Veterinary classmates established a scholarship fund that continues to support CSU veterinary students to this day. It was a source of great pride and a continued focus of his support. John was instrumental in establishing the Santa Fe Emergency Veterinary Clinic and computerized his practice long before it became a norm in the industry. A long and successful professional career earned him the respect of his peers, his clients and the affection of his patients. John and Robin raised their two daughters, Peggy and Jody, in Santa Fe, NM. Their lives were filled with endless adventures and rich experiences. Beekeeping and extracting honey, fishing and camping at the lake, gardening, raising chickens and turkeys, riding horses, building things and playing together. Family and neighborhood parties inspired all the delicious food that John loved to make, especially his homebrewed beer, salt-rising bread and smoked turkey. In 1996 John, Robin, three horses, two dogs and four hives of bees moved to Cortez, Colorado to begin their next chapter. Their 22-acre farm, with its heritage apple orchard, large pond and irrigated hay fields was a dream come true. The next thirty years were some of the happiest. Filled with new farming skills, lots of hard work, home renovations and wonderful new friends, this was a most rewarding time. Hard work all summer and winter travel adventures were a great combination. John was a generous yet private man, inquisitive, self-motivated, a “doer” and a wonderful teacher. A man of integrity. He loved his family very much and was immensely proud of them all. He was an inventor, award winning brewer and carpenter, a “tinkerer” who never stopped learning new things. These things brought him much joy throughout his life. John will be profoundly missed, but the people and things he touched are better because he lived. The family sincerely thanks all the wonderful people who have reached out. Their expressions of love and support have been a great comfort. And they are especially grateful to all those who helped care for John. Their kindness and genuine respect has been a gift. A private gathering to celebrate John Lyle’s life will be held at a future time. Contributions in honor of John Lyle can be made to Pathways Hospice Care, your local food bank or to Colorado State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

Tributes

John Driver Lyle

October 16, 1937 - January 18, 2026