Johnny Jarvies

Johnny Karl Jarvies passed away on Saturday, July 6, 2013, suddenly at his home after a normal morning visit to the pond with his niece Sherrie and his great-grandniece Rio to go swim their dogs. He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law Ruby Jo and Robert Zafiratos of Fountain Valley Calif., and their daughter Sherrie of Durango, Colo., Johnny's niece, who has two children: Cierra Harrison, who has four children with her husband Tom in Bayfield, Colo., and Dustin Clapp from Huntington Beach, Calif., along with David Clapp, Johnny's beloved nephew-in-law. He is also survived by his brother Joseph B. Jarvies of Newport Beach, Calif., his three children, Susan, Eric and Sasha, fifteen grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and two half-sisters Rene' and Jennifer Jarvies from Albuquerque, N.M., both of whom have one child. Johnny is also survived by many cousins from uncles La Monte Jarvies and Donald Jarvies and one aunt, Deon Jarvies from Manassa, Colo. His father, Norman Joseph Jarvies, was born in Manassa, Colo., who would later move to Albuquerque, where he died in 1993. His mother Dora Irene (King) Jarvies was also born in Manassa and passed away in Albuquerque in 1998. His grandparents were John and Jesse Jarvies from Manassa, both deceased. Johnny was born on December 23, 1941, in Alamosa, Colo., and moved to Albuquerque at age ten with his family. As an adult in his twenties he started to work for the US Forestry Service in the mail room. He loved working there and made many friends over his 32-year career. He lived with his mother until her death in 1998 and then retired and moved to his niece Sherrie's home in Durango. His niece Sherri said, "Johnny loved everyone he met. He could not pass by anyone without going up and talking to them. He loved to attend all the sport activities of Raya, Junah, Moose (Reese), and Rio, his great-grandnieces and -nephews. He will be sorely missed by his family and many others, including those in his El Rancho Florida neighborhood that got to know him as a special person." He will be interred next to his mother in Albuquerque.