78, of Scottsdale, AZ unexpectedly passed away July 27, 2023 after a short but serious illness. To know John was to love him. And we all did. We will miss his infectious smile, innate kindness, sharp wit and tireless energy. Not to mention his competitive spirit! John is survived by his wife, Connie, and his daughters Kristy (Chris) Harris of Arvada, CO and Amy (Todd) Black of Fort Collins, CO; his sister Carol Boose of Arvada, CO; his step daughters, Christa Gannon (Scott Alexander) of Mountain View, CA and Amanda (John) King of Boise, ID; and his 8 grandchildren Ellie and Ryan Black, Sophia and Joshua Harris, Hailey and Luke Alexander, Lucy and Henry King. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Debbie, and his parents, John K. Boose and Florence A. Boose. John was born May 31, 1945 in Pittsburgh, PA and grew up in Canton, OH in the fifties, which apparently looked a lot like that depicted in the movie A Christmas Story. When John was in junior high his family moved to Cleveland Heights, OH where he met his first love, Debbie. John graduated from Cleveland Heights High School and then attended the US Air Force Academy where he received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and engineering. John and Debbie married within weeks of graduating from college in 1967 and started their life together. John held a master’s degree in aerospace/mechanical engineering from the University of Cincinnati and spent nearly six years in the Air Force as a pilot and aerospace engineer. Upon leaving the Air Force in 1973, John worked for Hewlett Packard Company until 1997 where he served in a variety of senior executive positions. Starting his career in Buffalo, NY, John and Debbie moved their family to Loveland, CO in 1975. John worked in sales and marketing management positions and then became General Manager of the Greeley Storage Division and Computer Peripherals Bristol in the U.K. before ending his career with Hewlett Packard as President of Colorado Memory Systems. During this time, John also became a proud graduate of the Stanford University Executive MBA Program. From 1997-2004, John took his years of leadership and business experience into the classroom as a full-time faculty member at the Kenneth Monfort College of Business at the University of Northern Colorado where he was the Robert G. Tointon Distinguished Professor of Technology Management. In 1997 he also founded Strategic Leadership Group which allowed him to use his passion and expertise to help individuals and organizations through consulting and executive coaching work, as well as continuing to teach a variety of executive workshops through Stanford University, MIT and Duke University. He served on numerous boards and was especially honored to be on the Board of Directors of the TouchPoint (Southco) Corporation for over 20 years. John and Debbie raised their daughters in Loveland and were very active and influential members of the community. They established many strong and important friendships through all facets of their life and work. In John’s ‘second act’, after Debbie’s tragic death, he found love again with Connie Gannon whom he married December 14, 2002. Through that marriage, John immediately doubled his family with two bonus daughters and their families who enhanced his life exponentially and kept his life busier than ever. An avid tennis player and golfer, John enjoyed attending all kinds of sporting events. But his favorites were cheering on his grandchildren in all of their activities and competitions. After several years of splitting time between Colorado and Arizona, John and Connie moved to Scottsdale full-time in 2018. However, they never stayed in one place for long! His teaching for Stanford took them all around the United States and the world including India, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and countries throughout Europe. They were continually finding new places to explore, spending time with friends, volunteering to help others, and creating memories with their families and living life to the fullest. A celebration of life will take place at Zion Lutheran Church in Loveland, CO on August 12, 2023 at 12 PM with a memorial gathering planned in Arizona later this fall. The family asks that donations be sent in lieu of flowers to honor John’s life to USAFA Center for Character and Leadership Development (Center for Character and Leadership Development, Polaris Hall, Suite 300, USAF Academy, CO 80840-6260) or to World Central Kitchen (wkc.org).