John De Fellippie

JOHN DE FELLIPPIE John De Fellippie of Franktown, CO, passed away on July 31st, 2025 seven days short of his 88th birthday at HCA Healthone Skyridge Hospital in Lone Tree. Even though John endured a long history of painful metastatic prostate challenges, through strength and perseverance, he exceeded his doctors' expectations, and he continued to fully live his life, engaging with family and lifelong friends to the very end. Preceding John in death was his beautiful, beloved wife and soul mate of 40 years, Melvina (Mel) Mary Hogan, from Iowa Falls, IA. (Sadly, John lost Mel in June 2024.) Many years earlier, John's mother, Jennie Genta of Raton, NM, passed away in 1986, and his father, Charlie De Fellippie of Trinidad, CO, in 1971. Even though John was an only child, his surviving family members include several first-cousins and many devoted friends. Born John Charles De Fellippie on August 6th, 1937, he grew up in Starkville and Trinidad. He attended Holy Trinity from first grade until senior year of high school, where he was an outstanding student and participated in extracurricular activities like student government and the debate team. John was also an excellent athlete and played on Holy Trinity's 1952 and 1955 High School State Football Championship teams under Coach Charlie Latuda. Upon high school graduation, he was accepted to the University of Notre Dame and finished with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1959. Returning home to Colorado, John had an amazing, rewarding lifelong career within the aerospace and defense industry working at Martin (later Martin Marietta) of Denver. He loved his chosen profession as an electrical engineer, as demonstrated by a distinguished career of 50-plus years of service and numerous prestigious awards in both full-time and later part-time capacities, as he eased into retirement. Outside of family and work, John's greatest passion in life was football as a devoted fan of the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and the Denver Broncos. An excellent snow skier: John was also an avid bowhunter and a sports car enthusiast, starting with his 1957 Chevy and followed by a legacy of Porsches. John will always be remembered as a kind and caring individual, and his presence will be missed by all who knew him. Funeral Services will be at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Trinidad on Friday, September 26. A Rosary will be said at 9:30 a.m., followed by Mass at 10:00 a.m. and then Internment at Trinidad Catholic Cemetery immediately following. John's family will host a reception at Mt. Carmel Hall to conclude the Celebration of Life services starting at 12:00 noon.