John James Vess

John James Vess, 81, of Lakewood, passed away on July 22, 2025, in Lakewood, surrounded by his loving children.

John, was born May 9, 1944, in Denver, to John Joseph and Ruth Irene (Wood) Veschusio. A few years after his birth, the family moved to Southern Colorado and changed their last name from Veschusio to Vess due to ongoing prejudices against Italian Americans at the time.

His father, “Johnny,” was a Colorado State Trooper and when he got stationed in La Junta, where John and his younger sister Cindy grew up. John domesticated a raccoon he named “Rocky.” much to the chagrin of his parents who couldn’t keep it from raiding the cupboards. They tried locking the cupboards, but John’s pet racoon quickly learned how to pick locks, a skill John denied teaching Rocky. In high school, he joined the Koshari Indian Dancers and toured around the nation, something he took immense pride in being a part of.

He attended Adams State College in Alamosa, where he graduated with two Master’s Degrees in Chemistry and Biology. He met Sandra Lee Meek in college, and they were married shortly thereafter. They had two sons, Ty and Todd, while living in Calgary, Canada when he was working there as a teacher. They then moved back to the United States and settled in Ridgway where he taught at Ridgway High School.

John then worked for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad and while stationed in Craig as the Trainmaster, he met his second wife, Kathleen Mitchell. They were transferred to Grand Junction where their daughter Ashley was born. He was then transferred to head office in Denver and their son, Michael, was born. John retired as the head of medical, health and safety from the railroad. He then began teaching AP Science at Holy Family High School. He quickly became a favorite among the staff and students. Though a very touch teacher, John loved his pranks on the other staff and students (not even the Head Sister was exempt) and took pride in making sure every one of his students passed his classes no matter how hard they struggled. In 2024 he was inducted into the Holy Family High School Hall of Honor.

He was an avid photographer, taking tens of thousands of photos. His favorite subject to photograph were old railroad water tanks. He would driver all over the western US taking photos. He loved making Native American beadwork and giving them to family members.

John was a very caring individual who loved his children, grandchildren, and granddogs dearly. He had an amazing sense of humor and always put others before himself.

He is survived by his sister Cindy (Bill) Studnicka of Wickenburg, AZ; daughter Ashley (Bryan) Zimmerman of Denver; sons Ty (Melissa) Vess of Lakewood, Todd (Lisa) Vess of Windsor, Michael (Alexandra) Vess of Denver; nieces Andi (Eric) Gold of Fort Collins, and Stephanie (Jason) Robertson of Parker; grandsons Zach, Connor (Sarah), Max, Mason, and Marcus (Pearl) Vess; great-grandson Owen Vess; and grand-dogs Murphy, Stella, Kimi, Odin, Loki, Nala, Saga, Chief; and Kyra.

He is preceded in death by his parents.

Private family services will be held.

Memorial contributions may be made to Taysia Blue Rescue at www.taysiablue.com.