John Krizman Jr

John Krizman, Jr. was born on January 2, 1929, to John Krizman, Sr. and Mary (Selan) Krizman of Grand Junction. He passed away peacefully on January 5, 2023, at the age of 94!  John is preceded in death by Ruth, his wife of 64 years.

John grew up on the family's farm and orchard and continued to farm hay and corn most of his life. He attended Fruitvale Elementary and later Fruitvale High School, graduating in 1946. After earning his Teaching Degree from Mesa College, John began teaching school in the valley. He stepped away from teaching when he joined the Army in 1953 and was stationed at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia for 2 years before returning to Grand Junction to continue his teaching career.

On June 10, 1956, John married Ruth Young. They spent their summers in Gunnison, while John earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in Math and Science at Western State College. John taught at Central and Grand Junction High Schools, and in addition to teaching, he coached basketball, football, track and baseball over the years.

Together John and Ruth had 3 sons: JT (Sue), Garrie (Laurie) and Mike (Lorena). The family has continued to grow and to now include 6 grandkids and 6 great grandkids.

John retired from the district in 1984. He was appointed as President of the Board for Palisade Irrigation District by the County Commissioners in 1986 and continued until his passing. He served as a member and manager of both the Moose Lodge and Elks Lodge.

John enjoyed the outdoors. If he wasn't driving a tractor, you could find him camping and fishing, even in the winter! John loved spending time with his family. Throughout his life, John was a hard worker and was committed to serving his community.

The funeral service for John will be held on January 27, 2023, at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery at 1:00pm, followed by a service at 2:00pm at Clifton Christian Church. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to HopeWest, 3090 N. 12th Street, GJ 81506