John Earley

John Earley
A man of grace, warmth and integrity, died July 4 in the cockpit of his World War II -era Mustang.
John died at a time of great fulfillment and happiness in his life. He adored his family, wife Jodi and daughters Hannah, 14, and Julia, 8. He was CEO and chairman of the board of Saddle Butte Pipeline in Durango, probably his favorite job in his favorite place.
He was born John Charles Earley Jr. on Dec. 29, 1962, in Norman, OK, to Marjorie Devonshire Earley, a mathematician and business analyst, and Jack Earley, an aeronautical engineer.
John loved building things. He majored in construction engineering at the University of Oklahoma and while in school he worked for Koch Industries helping build an asphalt plant in Norman. By the time he graduated, he was the plant manager. He liked working with his hands: to relieve stress when he managed the plant, he said, he would go out in the yard with a jackhammer. Through the years, he did many home improvement projects, starting, when he was a teenager, with renovations at the homes of his Mother and a sister. He later learned wood-working skills from his father-in-law, John Cantwell.
Trains were another love of his. His first career goal was to be a railroad engineer. As a child, he rode his bike down to meet the Amtrak train in Norman. He made friends with the engineers and once, when he was about 10, he hitched a ride on the train from Norman to the next town. Durango was a favorite childhood vacation spot and he was delighted to be back in Durango with his family. They often sat on the porch together, watching the Cumbres and Toltec wind across the mountain, or the hummingbirds visiting Jodi's garden. He loved the mountains, skiing with his family in winter and riding his jeep in summer.
In 1998, John married his long-time love, Jodi Cantwell, who made all things possible for him. She was his most profound love and an integral part of him, along with Hannah, his passionate dancer, and Julia, his artistic strong spirited girl.
John had a sharp intelligence, a mind for facts and figures, clear vision, a strong work ethic and a gift for communication: these brought him increasingly responsible positions. He spent 20 years in various operational leadership positions for Koch Industries, including responsibility for Koch's crude oil pipeline and trucking business in Oklahoma and North Texas, as well as Koch's Cushing Terminal Operations. John managed pipeline operations in Louisiana and was Senior Vice President of Operations and Engineering for Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, based in Houston, before starting Saddle Butte Pipeline.
He remarked recently that he was only good at one thing - presumably building pipelines - but that clearly was not true. He could be modest about his own accomplishments but generous in his praise of friends and associates. John chose employees carefully and backed them as well: during Hurricane Katrina, he sent a helicopter to Louisiana to pluck an employee from a rooftop. He had a wonderful grin and wry sense of humor.
In addition to his wife and children, he is survived by three sisters, Judy Wilner, Susan Earley and Gene Earley and three nieces and nephews, Erica Wilner, Shai Karp and Maria Lane.
He will be forever young, and we will hold him in our hearts forever.
Services will be held Monday, July 14th, at 4pm at the Glacier Club in Durango, Colorado.
In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the John Earley Memorial Fund via the Community Foundation. The family will use the Fund to make grants to nonprofits whose missions align with John's passions. Donations can be made on line via the website: www.SWCommunityFoundation.org