John Emil Dehaes

Long time Ft. Collins resident, John DeHaes died on November 6, 2024, at the UC Health Medical Center of the Rockies.

Celebration of Life service will be Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at Bohlender Funeral Chapel in Ft. Collins, CO with Pastor Kimberly Salico-Diehl. Private family inurnment will be at a later date.

John Emil DeHaes was born in Washington state on December 12, 1936, to Marie and Emil DeHaes. He and his family moved to Norfolk, Nebraska in 1947, where John attended and graduated from Norfolk High School in 1955. John went on to enroll at University of Nebraska at Lincoln where he was a member of the Nebraska football team. He graduated in 1959 from UNL where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology.

John's working career began in the Wildcat Hills around Scottsbluff, Nebraska working on a geology site. From there he decided to pursue a career in another one of his passions…communication… by becoming the news reporter at the Chadron Record in Chadron, Nebraska, and also working for the KCSR radio station as a sports and news reporter.

While at Chadron, he met and married Lorraine Ford on March 9, 1962, in Norfolk, Nebraska. At that time, he also gained two bonus daughters, Jo and Lorrie.

After a move to Grand Island, Nebraska, John and Lorraine moved one last time to Ft. Collins where he worked at a local KCOL radio station, and then he finished out his working career at the City of Ft. Collins.

John was an avid writer. He often wrote "yearly" books filled with poetry, stories, and observations that he had written for family and friends. He also had a love of sports especially baseball and football… following the Rockies and Broncos through "thick and thin."

As a Christian and member of the American Baptist Church almost his entire life, John was actively involved in his church by serving on various committees and as a Trustee, Lay leader, Sunday School teacher, and usher. He and Lorraine were also sponsors of the Youth Group for years, serving a weekly meal to the college kids.

John's quick wit, warm smile, and love to visit with anyone will truly be missed.

John was preceded in death by his loving wife, Lorraine, his parents, Emil and Marie, a younger brother, Chuck, and granddaughter Jamie Lee.

John is survived by two bonus daughters, JoAnne (Doug) Teaford and Lorrie Ford (Chris Deibler) of Lincoln, NE, and brother Bob DeHaes of Norfolk, NE.

Six grandchildren: Jerry (Eileen) Hoffmann of Denver, CO; Jim (Kathryn) Hoffmann of Lincoln, NE; Andrea (Brian) Cox of Grapevine, TX; Nicole (Dirk)Ochs of Overland Park, Ks.; Heather (Shane) Woodson of Charlton, MA; and Amanda (Jeremy)Spitzer of Shrewsbury, MA.

Eleven great grandchildren: Drew (Bre) Hoffmann, Reid (Tyra) Hoffmann, Abigail Hoffmann, Samantha Hoffmann, Henry Clay, Katie Woodson, Savvi Spitzer, Michael Woodson, Jamisen Cox, Olivia Hoffmann, and Merritt Spitzer.

Special friends Averil Strand and Jaaffar Strand both of Ft. Collins as well as nieces and nephews in NE and CO….