John Moye

1944 - 2022

Moye, John
Aug 15, 1944 - May 27, 2022

John Moye, pioneering attorney, philanthropist, and civil leader, died May 27th in Denver at age 77 due to complications of Parkinson's Disease.

Born in Deadwood, South Dakota to Margaret and Jeff Moye August 15, 1944, John was a precocious and mischievous only child. He inherited his sense of humor from his father, who penned his own obituary. It simply read, "Jeff Moye left Deadwood yesterday and is not expected to return."

John was a dedicated pianist and student who attended the University of Notre Dame, where he met his college sweetheart and later wife, Patti Theisen. He was also known as DJ Johnny Mopp on the ubiquitous Topsy Rock and Roll program at WNDU.

He attended Cornell Law School where he graduated with distinction followed by a four-year station at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado. In 1976, he founded a law firm that has evolved over several decades, now known as Moye White. John was recognized as Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year by both the Denver and Colorado Bar Associations in 1981. While known for his impeccable dress in custom-tailored suits, John became even more recognized for his genuine approachability, deep compassion, and commitment to a creative, intellectual, and ethical culture within the firm.

John's professional expertise included contracts, corporate, commercial, banking and partnership law. He chose contracts to spite one of one of his Cornell professors who told him that he would "never understand contracts." He especially loved the intricacies of the language of contracts and wrote "The Contracts Rap," which articulates more than 60 contract law concepts through memorable rhyming couplets, serving as a mnemonic for tens of thousands of graduate students through his legendary Bar Exam lectures.

John authored several books including legal texts on corporations, partnerships, business organizations, federal jurisdiction and the Uniform Commercial Code. He was a professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of Denver Law School where he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Law for his commitment to legal education.

John's other commitments extended to dozens of nonprofit and for-profit organizations. He served as the President of the Colorado Bar Association, Chair of the Colorado Historical Foundation, the Board of Law Examiners, the Stapleton Development Corporation, the Denver Urban Renewal Authority, and Downtown Denver, Inc. He also served as Director of the Denver Botanic Gardens and Colorado Public Radio, Inc.

In 2006, along with Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Kourlis and Chancellor Emeritus Dan Richie, he cofounded the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS), an independent research center at the University of Denver combining innovation, empirical data, and interdisciplinary collaboration. He traveled internationally to study models in countries like New Zealand and was inspired by intelligent and compassionately streamlined legal systems that better served all parties. In 2016, John Moye Hall was dedicated to him at the University of Denver, where IAALS continues to operate.

Throughout his career, he won countless awards for outstanding leadership, law practice, and civic contributions, only some of which include The Award of Merit, the Colorado Bar Association's highest accolade (2005) and the Dana Crawford Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation (2017). He was a member of The Order of the Coif, Phi Kappa Phi.

In his free time, John loved playing the piano, cycling, gambling in Las Vegas with his best friend Steven Levine, and spending quality time with family in Italy, his grandparents' birthplace.

He is survived by his daughters, Kelly (Mark) Moye, Mary (Tom) Moye Monroe, Megan (Chris) Zacher, his stepdaughter Rachael Portnoy, his grandchildren Madeleine Heroux, Tucker Heroux, Chelsea Monroe, Zoey Monroe, and Zander Zacher, and his trusty dog Joe Biden, who was named long before the presidency.

John's Celebration of Life will be held at the DU Newman Center, Wednesday July 6th 4-6pm

John's favorite poem was "Casey at the Bat," by Ernest Lawrence Thayer. Here is the last verse, personalized for him:

Oh, somewhere in this favored land, the sun is shining bright

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout

But there is no joy in Denver- the mighty Moye has stepped out

And is not expected to return.

In lieu of flowers, donations would be gratefully received at Parkinson's Foundation