He spent his childhood in Kansas City but upon entering high school, he had the opportunity to move to California and live with his Aunt Ann. He lived in North Hollywood during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He delivered cowboy shirts to Gene Autry from his aunt’s cleaning shop. Bing Crosby sang in his church’s choir. He went to school with the sons and daughters of many stars of the day. He loved swimming in the ocean, picnics and camping on the beach with his friends He learned to play golf and began his lifelong love of it. He was the editor of his high school yearbook. He graduated in 1938 and returned to Kansas City.

He was a quiet, considerate and determined man. He set out to obtain the things he wanted in his life—a career, a wife, a family and a home. When war broke out, he was in the first draft, but was unable to serve due to medical reasons. He served on the home front working by day and attending Engineering School at night.

He met the love of his life, Mary Elizabeth Finn and they were married on May 8, 1943 and were married for 66 years. While the world remembers 1945 as the end of the Great War, John and Mary had two other defining events. One was the birth of their son, John II. Anyone who ever saw him with a baby knows how much he loved them and he was overjoyed to have his own. The other was John’s starting work for the General Electric Company as a salesman. In 1947, GE offered John the opportunity to relocate to Denver. So in December of 1947, the Dobel family arrived in Denver and by 1949, they were living in Lakewood.

The decade of the 50’s was a very busy one. In his work, he traveled all over the west and met many people who began as his clients but became fast friends. They appreciated his integrity in all his business dealings. He often shared with us his belief that no matter what the circumstance, you must treat everyone fairly and in a way that they can maintain their dignity to be successful.

He was a man who believed his home and community were important. They joined St. Bernadette’s Parish soon after it was established and they were active in many parish activities including the work to establish the school in 1953. Young John was one of the first students and Mary was the first president of the PTA which meant that John got drafted into many activities like organizing Bingo. He served as President of the Maple Grove Homeowner’s Association and was active in politics. Susanne arrived in 1956 and Brian in 1957. He also underwent pioneering open heart surgery in 1957. He served as Chairman of the building drive to build Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church and it was completed by the time Lisa arrived in 1960.

The Dobels lived in several homes in Lakewood and moved to their current home in the Green Mountain Townhouses in 1966. It was a very good move for them and many of their neighbors became lifelong friends – in fact, family. Under his term as president of the Homeowner’s association, he worked to make the management of the town homes independent and under the control of the homeowners directly. It was a bold idea but very successful and is still used today. As any child who grew up in the town homes at that time can tell you, he took his responsibilities seriously and was diligent in policing children who rode their bikes on the sidewalk in front of his house and people who walked their dogs irresponsibly. He enjoyed town home living and many community activities.

He treasured his time with family and friends and whether it was a large holiday celebration or a family dinner, you could usually find him sitting quietly with a small smile listening to everyone and taking it all in. He was a great cook and you could find him in the kitchen on many days, nights or holidays preparing foods with recipes his family treasures today.

In Sept. of 1998 he suffered a stroke that proved to be the end of his golfing days. But his quiet determination served him well again and he made remarkable progress in recovering from the stroke. He was able to return to most activities of life with some difficulty.

After his stroke, he and Mary began "snowbirding" in Arizona each winter with John II and Karen and he loved it! He looked forward to escaping the cold that made some tasks more difficult for him.

As a mountain will wear down with time and the elements, so it was with John. In 2004 he suffered the first of his serious falls which resulted in a fracture to his stroke-affected right foot. In 2006 he fell and incurred an even more serious break of that foot. In 2008, he fell and fractured his right ankle in 3 places. He required surgery and rehabilitation for two months in a nursing home before he could put weight on the foot. He was determined to come home and walk and he did but with more difficulty than ever before. Through all this, Mary was always by his side and his caregiver in all things.

When he fell last Saturday, his injury proved to be one that he couldn’t recover from. When he died early Monday morning, his family was at his side.

The family was fortunate that we had an occasion to get everyone together three weeks ago. We laughed and told stories and loved and enjoyed each other.

He loved life, his family and his friends. He would not want us to be sad about his passing but to celebrate his life and remember him smiling with a twinkle in his eye or rocking a baby to sleep or hitting a terrific shot on the golf course. Perhaps this poem that his son John found in a box of old photos expresses it best.

I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one,

I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when day is done.;

I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways

Of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.

I’d like the tears of those who grieve to dry before the sun