January 27, 1958 - September 26, 2024
Matthew 25:23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
John suffered a pulmonary emobolism last Saturday which stopped his heart. Though he was resuscitated by the paramedics he never regained consciousness. Over the next week, he continued to show the resilience that I have seen time and again over his 23 years with Parkinson's with miraculous changes that were unexplanable. He was surrounded by those who loved him. He was a loving father to his three children, each of whom sat vigil at his bedside with me.
John was happiest in his role as father, assuming the role of full time Dad early in our marriage so that I could travel for my job. We wanted there to be a loving parent at home and John fulfilled the role with humor and resilience. He was a staple for every school field trip and a homework helicopter Dad. The love and support that our adult children, Charlie, Mary Mac and Jack showed by his bedside to each other, to John and to me was a testament to the family love that he helped shape.
Our son in law sat vigil for 4 days, leaving the morning that John passed away to finish a hunting trip he postponed to be at our side. That evening, in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, a place that John loved dearly, Quin met his biggest elk.
While a pulmonary embolism is not typically associated with Parkinson's, some of our most recent work with Dr. Barry Ninham in Australia will provide connections to how this may actually have been connected. As many of you know, John also struggled with long Covid symptoms that are known to affect the cardiovascular system but are often still not recognized by physicians.
I don't think John really realized how much impact he had on so many people. But I feel that he did know it in this past week. John was our very own George Bailey from It's a Wonderful Life, a favorite movie of his. So many people prayed for him and shared stories with us of how he had impacted their life. He truly has had an impact across the world from inspiring people with Parkinson's with his humor, resilience and tenancy to his impact on the many researchers we have worked with over the years with our out of the box thinking. We would love to hear from you in the comments, your stories of how John impacted you.
As you know John was very active in Parkinson's projects. He was instrumental in spreading the Pedaling for Parkinson's Program across the country, including working with Tom Palizzi to get an online cycling program set up during Covid so that the PWP community would still have connection. He was also a key contributor to the Parkinson's Pointe Programs in Denver, Colorado. And of course, he was the biggest contributor of all to our Parkinson's Microbiome Research. If you would like to make a donation in John's memory information for these three organizations is provided at the bottom of the post.
John was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2002 at the age of 44. He never let it slow him down. He road thousands of miles on his bikes (road and stationary) including Ride the Rockies and 8 times in the RAGBRAI, the ride across the state of Iowa. He climbed mountains, including Kilimanjaro in 2011. You can find his story in our book More Than a Mountain: Our Leap of Faith (page 161).
Following Kilimanjaro, he continued to climb mountains and even took up ice climbing!
He worked on research programs for cycling with the Cleveland Clinic and trained new OT/PT doctoral students with his humor and wisdom at Regis University. After moving to Kentucky in 2022, John helped the local Parkinson's group get an exercise program started.
John was truly a beloved man. I have never heard a harsh word spoken of him because he was of the highest character. He exemplified service in action, reaching out to uplift all of his fellow Parkinson's warriors. His love of fishing never waned and he was able to take a fishing trip to the San Juan River this past June and spend time with his lifelong fishing buddies in one of his favorite fishing holes. He shared his love of fishing with many over the years, including me.
"Nothing in this life so enlivens my spirit and emotions as the rivers I know. In their clear, swift or slow, generous or coy waters, I regain my powers. I find again those parts of myself that have been lost." ~ Thomas McGuane
John was the truest reflection of a life in the example of Christ, with his gentle spirit, outpouring of compassion for his fellow travelers, endless generousity and uplifting spirit. He was a true reflection of the light.
John 1:6-8 (King James Version) 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
A Service will be held at Harrod Brothers Funeral Home
312 Washington Street
Frankfort, Kentucky
at noon on October 2, 2024
A Celebration of Life in Colorado will be scheduled in early November.
If you would like to support John's continued light in the world, Please include a note that the donation is made in John's memory so that we can acknowledge your gift.
for expanding the programs offered to the Parkinson's Community
BioCollective Research, LLC, check donations can be made by check to 18695 Pony Express Drive #1973, Parker, Colorado, 80134.
Proceeds will go to Parkinson's clinical microbiome research and a spring meeting challenging the paradigms of Parkinson's with the question "What if everything we think we know about Parkinson's is actually wrong?" planned in cooperation with Resolve Parkinson's and Parkinson's Pointe.
Pedaling for Parkinson's programs, now run by the Davis Phinney Foundation
We met JC doing volunteer wilderness search and rescue in Douglas County, Colorado, and were honored to be invited to the Carlin house on many occasions. We had so many laughs, so many great conversations, and so much fun together.
His quick and dry wit, honest assessment of situations, and realistic optimism made our time together extra special.
His legacy lives on in his family, his volunteer efforts and in many other ways. We're so blessed to have been a part of his circle ... Randy and Becki Rupp
Mischievous. Witty. Clever. Funny. The best at Name that Tune. John was such a good human. He loved to eat and a good Italian momma like me loves when friends come back for seconds or thirds. John was always game. Game for any adventure. Game to be our lab guy and do whatever he could to help advance PD science. John was my friend and I loved him. I miss him. Rest in peace, John.
I met John three years ago when I began Pedaling for Parkinson’s with Tom Palizzi of Denver. John was very welcoming and we shared similar interests outside our bond of PD. I enjoyed chatting with him about his cycling and fly fishing adventures. He was very welcoming to everyone in the class. He will be greatly missed
Lorin Youde
John and Martha came into my life through my husband, who guided them ice climbing in beautiful Ouray, Colorado. Upon meeting John it was clear he was a story teller, and boy was he! Gosh, I can hear his voice in my head anytime I think about him. He always lit up when he spoke about his children-it was very clear he loved them deeply. And when he spoke about Martha it was always with respect to the work she was doing to heal him (and the world!) from the inside out. He referred to himself as a soccer mom of sorts and prided himself on his carpooling skills as well. His car was affectionately called “the locker room”. And…
John was what I wish I could be. Loved by all, friend of all, highest integrity, but most of all, with the spirit of a child. His impact on us is immeasurable.