John Wolfe, loving husband, devoted father, beloved brother and a treasured friend of all who knew him, died December 5, 2006 at his home in Fort Collins. He was 55. He died of leukemia and faced his death with great courage, never losing his charming wit and warm sense of humor.

John was married to Pam Collins Wolfe for 24 years. They are the proud parents of Martin, 22, a student at UNC in Greeley, and Tami, 20, who lives in Boulder. John is also survived by his sister Joyce Wolfe Turco of Wayne, Maine, and brothers Roger Wolfe and Gary Wolfe, both of Fort Collins.

John was born in Pekin, Illinois in 1951 and also lived in California and Virginia before coming to Colorado.

For the past six years John worked as a respiratory therapist at Poudre Valley Hospital. He also worked at North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley where he compiled research data and wrote articles for national publication. He worked with the American Lung Association for many years and was dedicated to the goal of creating a smoke-free Colorado. John was recently recognized for his efforts in a cover story in the American Association of Respiratory Care Journal. He was scheduled to speak next week at the International Respiratory Congress in Las Vegas. As a tribute to his dedication, the Colorado Society for Respiratory Care will establish an annual award in John's honor to be given for outstanding work on smoking cessation programs.

From 1991 to 1995, John and Pam both worked at the King Faisal Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They traveled extensively, visiting Turkey, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Cyprus. While in the middle-east. John acquired an appreciation for Persian carpets and made himself an authority on their designs, materials and construction.

Outside his professional life John was passionate about old time music and was an expert on the roots of traditional tunes. He played the banjo, claw hammer style. He also played guitar and even sang on occasion in a voice that might kindly be described as 'unique.' He sometimes played benefits with musician friends. John and his son Martin also teamed up in a duet they called 'The Self-Righteous Brothers.' On occasion he organized concerts for touring musicians to bring the sound of roots music to Northern Colorado.

Besides his family, friends and music, the great love of his life was his motorcycle, a Triumph Bonneville that he would frequently take on spins through the foothills and mountains of Colorado.