John Anthony Musa

John Anthony Musa, a longtime resident of Fort Collins, Colorado, passed away on September 9, 2026. Born January 3, 1950, in Utica, New York, John lived his 76 years with an unmistakable sense of independence, curiosity and adventure - and with a generous heart that those fortunate enough to truly know him understood well.

John was born to Joseph and Rose Musa and was the oldest son of seven children. As a young boy, he served as an altar boy and played the violin. He attended Notre Dame High School in Utica and Morrisville College before serving his country in the United States Army during the Vietnam era.

In 1972, John and a friend headed west to Colorado to visit a cousin who had relocated from New York to Loveland. What began as a visit became a life. John never left Colorado, and Fort Collins would become his home for more than five decades.

His working life reflected the same independence and willingness to take chances that characterized so much of his life. He worked as a sous chef, sold cars, owned Olive's East tea and coffee shop at Foothills Fashion Mall, and in 1979 became a partner in Campus West Liquors, one of Fort Collins' longstanding local businesses. In 1983, he purchased the remaining interest and incorporated the business. Over the years, John also became an active real estate investor in both residential and commercial properties throughout Fort Collins.

But work was only one part of John's story. John loved an adventure.

In the early 1990s, that adventurous spirit led him to competitive sailboat racing. He became an accomplished sailor, competing nationally aboard a 1D35 racing sailboat alongside exceptionally talented sailors, including America's Cup racers. His racing took him from Key West up the East Coast and to Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco and San Diego. He was a member of the San Diego Yacht Club and, in 1994, participated in a memorable race from Sarasota, Florida, to Marina Hemingway in Havana, Cuba.

In 1988, another adventure changed his life when he met Nancy Smith during a group ski trip to Steamboat Springs. A chance meeting became a relationship filled with decades of shared experiences. Together, John and Nancy raced sailboats and took sailing trips through the Tahitian Islands and British Virgin Islands, shared the extraordinary race to Havana, and traveled the world. John was always looking toward the next experience - even if that experience occasionally involved cutting and baling hay on a Northern Colorado ranch.

When his sailboat racing years came to an end, John didn't leave the water behind. He completed the U.S. Coast Guard Master Captain’s license course and eventually purchased a 68-foot Ocean Alexander powerboat. John and Nancy spent much of the last nine years exploring the waters of the Pacific Northwest. From Sidney and Victoria, British Columbia, through the San Juan and Gulf Islands, John found a place he loved on the water. Roche Harbor, Washington, held a particularly special place in his heart.

And then there were the cars. John loved Porsches. He wasn't simply an admirer - he was an accomplished driver who completed Porsche Master GT training. He and Nancy combined his love of cars and travel on Porsche adventures through Croatia and Italy. Over the years, he owned several Porsches, although there always seemed to be another one somewhere that had caught his eye.

For all the adventures, businesses, boats, cars and places John experienced, however, there was another side of him that mattered far more. John had an extraordinarily generous heart.

It wasn't necessarily something he displayed openly, and he never sought attention or recognition for it. You had to know John well to understand that part of him. Over the years, he quietly helped people when they were struggling. He loaned money without expecting to be repaid. He helped people purchase or repair cars. He helped people buy homes and, at times, helped pay rent so someone could avoid losing theirs. When he saw someone in genuine trouble and believed he could make a difference, John often simply helped. And then he moved on without making a big deal about it. That quiet generosity may be one of the most meaningful measures of the man he was.

John is survived by his longtime partner, Nancy Smith; his siblings Janice (Jim) Cancia, Mary Musa, Karen (John) Garcia, Joseph (Tonja) Musa and Chris (Stephanie Javernick) Musa; and several nieces and nephews, including his nephew Luke Musa of Fort Collins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Rose Musa, and his sister Denise Musa.

John's life cannot easily be summarized by dates or accomplishments. It is better remembered through the experiences he collected, the risks he was willing to take, the places he traveled, the people who shared those adventures with him, and the lives he quietly made a little better along the way.

He came west as a young man intending to visit. He stayed for a lifetime. And what a life it was.