John Roger Foote, 79, passed away on May 9, 2026 in Grand Junction, Colorado. A fall one month earlier accelerated the progression of his dementia. He was born on November 11, 1946 in Hollywood, California to Charles "Steve" and Virginia (King) Foote. He spent his early years in the San Fernando Valley where he formed lifelong friendships. At age 16, he moved to Western Colorado with his parents and began making more lifelong friends almost immediately. 

John graduated from Grand Junction High School in 1965, served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and attended Mesa Junior College. He married Mona Hicks in 1968, they had two children, Michelle and Jake, for whom he advocated strongly.

 He started his career as a carpenter with Colorado Macco, where he rapidly advanced to VP of construction by the time of the oil shale bust. He later worked as project manager for Mcnally-Pittsburg before founding Mericana Corporation in Telluride. He felt honored to offer people life-changing opportunities. He built a legacy of projects to be proud of including uranium mills, oil shale facilities, power plants, commercial buildings, historic renovations, multi-family housing, high-end custom homes, and the main gondola terminal at Telluride Ski Resort. His final project was the transformation of an old packing shed into a meaningful space at a good friend’s farm.

 John had a lot of fun in his life, enjoying travel, sporting events, live music, beaches, boats, and parties. He was a natural leader and known for being a great (and mostly factual) storyteller. He loved dogs and all things cars- shopping, buying, selling, racing, cleaning, and showing them off- it ran in his blood. His last words were "I've got to get to the garage." 

John was predeceased by his wife, Mona; his parents; and his brother, Stephen Buck. 

He is survived by his daughter, Michelle Foote (Todd Widegren); son, Jason “Jake” Foote; and much-loved dog, Jasper.

 A memorial gathering will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Kendra's Chapel, 3316 C Road, Palisade, CO 81526.