John Roland Sweangen

John Roland Sweangen came into the world on a beautiful sunny Sunday, November 6, 1988. Waiting for him was big sister, Lynda, who always called him “little brother,” even when he reached 6’3” in height. Two years later, John became ‘big brother’ to Patrick, and the team was formed: three of the greatest kids in the world and best friends for life.

A household with three little kids under 5 years of age created the best kind of chaos, and John was at the center of it. A handsome blonde, blue-eyed little Charlie Brown look-a-like, John was full of questions, always wanting to know how things worked, especially things that moved.

Like most kids, John loved riding his bike and scooter, rollerblading, and BMX bike racing. When he was 5, he had an experience that would chart his course in life. At Bandimere Speedway, a family friend put him in the front seat of his race car, “Patience.” Such a tiny boy in a high-performance car, you didn’t even notice the little kid riding in it! He rode to the starting line, and that was it. The sounds, sights, and feel of the car were magic, and he was in love!

A Fort Collins kid his entire life, John graduated with his fellow Lambkins in 2007 from Fort Collins High School. When he was a junior at Collins, he was recruited for the International Baccalaureate program, but being a gearhead from the get-go, he chose his own road.

John jumped into the automotive program at WyoTech in Laramie, Wyoming, and graduated at the top of his class with a degree in Motorsports Chassis Fabrication with Automotive Technology. He quickly found his place in the automotive repair field; the bulk of his career being spent at Meineke in Fort Collins as lead technician.

Put simply, John was a giant in his profession. His intellect and skill were only limited by his imagination. His colleagues would remark, “There was nothing John couldn’t make a car do.” And they were right. A talent beyond compare, he was the type of technician everyone dreams of—someone with ultimate proficiency and the honesty to match. His supervisors appreciated him, his co-workers respected him, and customers always requested him.

It is safe to say John’s one and only “car love” is the Chevrolet Camaro—everything about its style just clicked with him, bumper to bumper, he loved it all. He purchased his first car when he was 16 years old, a 1981 Camaro. He painted it and rebuilt the engine. It is still his pride and joy today after rebuilding the engine 2 more times, the last being his proudest. A ride in it is pure excitement and exhilaration because of the power that pushes your body back into the seat during acceleration. John would admiringly look at “Ace 2” and say, “Damn, that is one good-looking car!” You wouldn’t think a hunk of orange and black metal could be that entertaining and sexy, but John would set you right!

John lived a full, solid life. He loved being outdoors snowboarding, camping, riding his motorcycles and Razor. Most importantly, he was intentional in surrounding himself with good friends quite often.

If you ask friends and family to describe John, they will say, “Look at his picture.” It’s hard to tell which characteristic catches the eye first: whether his kindness and tender heart show more, or if it is his good-natured teasing and orneriness and spirit that made him fun to be around and drew people close. But without question, this was a man who knew the contentment of a happy life. He knew the satisfaction of finding his path, lifting people up and moving them forward, and putting good things out into the world. He knew that money and possessions had their place but couldn’t touch the value of friends and family. He knew the power of integrity. John knew how to be a good person and did it every single day. And, of course, he’s always known that happiness is a warm puppy.

We never had to wonder how John felt about us, he showed his caring and love for us every moment we were together with his warm grin and embrace of life. He is our most precious son, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend and was especially loved by his niece and nephew, AnnaBella and William. We love and miss you, John. Keep driving that Camaro up there and watch over Grandpa, Grandma, and PaPa.

See you at the finish line, Chevy John!
We are so proud to be your parents. Love, Mom and Dad
Lynda, Mark, Bella, William, Patrick, Kelly, Bear Bear, Duck, Fawkes, and Luna