John Iverson

It is with a broken heart that we announce the passing of our beloved John Iverson on January 2nd at 81; he was a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandfather.

John was born in Dalhart, TX on January 24, 1944. He went to Missouri Military Academy and, after graduation, to West Texas State University, where he obtained his Bachelor's in Accounting. Between1966 ~ 1965 John was on active duty in Fort Benjamin, Harrison, IN, in the Finance Center of the US Army. He continued his studies at the University of Toronto, where he obtained his MBA in 1969 and then he went to work for Kaiser Aluminum in CA, as a strategic planner. Captain John Iverson as honorably discharged from the US Army in 1976.

He moved to New Mexico for the love of fly fishing. He was an extremely passionate, avid fly fisherman and loved to teach anybody to fish, starting with his kids, grandkids, wife, sister. friends and just about anybody who wanted to learn the art of fly Fishing

John began a journey of entrepreneurship in 1978 when he co-founded Santa Fe Stonework, together with Bill Wirtel. John took the reins and turned it into an incredibly successful business. SF Stonework’s gave John the opportunity to expand his creativity. He loved gemstones, knives and the art of making them. In 1991 he received the NICHE Award for Outstanding, Achievement in American Craft.

After 21 years John decided to part with Santa Fe Stonework’s and dedicated the next couple of years to the Craft Industry by founding The Arts Business Institute. He said the Craft World was very good to him and wanted to give back to the Art Community by helping and teaching growing artists how to master the business of art.

In 2013 John and his wife, Cristina, bought Kowboyz, a western apparel retail store in the Railyard. He loved Kowboyz. He used to Say that he came by it naturally, as he grew up a cowboy in the Panhandle of TX. John and Cristina just sold their retail store on October 1, 2025.

John is preceded in death by his father Conrad, his mother Charlene, his stepfather Sid, his uncle Harry, his cousins Jack and Lonan.

John is survived by his wife, Cristina: his sons, John Robert (Jessica) and Patrick Charles (Branwyn); stepson Mihai; sister Melissa McDonald (Tom) from TX: and brother Greg Bridgeman (Julie) from FL: grandkids Raven, Abram, Stella, Fiona, Hugo, Athena, Daedalus: and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A memorial service will take place at a later date in Dalhart, TX