James Duke ""JD"" Carlson

James Duke ""JD"" Carlson passed away peacefully at his home in Aurora, Colorado on May 7, 2018, surrounded by his wife and children. He was 66 years old. His funeral will be held on May 12, 2018, at 11:00 AM at the Flanders Building of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 3101 South Flanders Street, Aurora, CO 80013. A public viewing will be held on May 11, 2018, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Horan & McConaty funeral home located at 11150 East Dartmouth Avenue (at Parker Road), Aurora, CO 80224. A viewing will also be held from 9:30-10:30 AM at the Flanders Building on Saturday, May 12th prior to the funeral service. JD will then be laid to rest at St. Simeon Cemetery in Aurora. JD was born on February 19, 1952, in Denver, Colorado, the third child of Enos James Carlson and Jennie Duke Carlson. He is survived by his wife, Jean Tillman Carlson; his children, Alicia Schick (Dustin), Julia Carlson, James Carlson (Taryn), Carrie Halterman (Keith); and his siblings, Carolyn Keller, Gary Carlson, and Janice Robinson. He is also survived by nine grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents. Throughout his youth, JD was known as bright, fun-loving, and creative. He had a curiosity for the world around him, loved to learn new things, and had a brilliant memory. His sense of humor and kind heart made him a friend to many. He had a spirit of adventure and was a great story-teller. He graduated from Aurora Central High School and served as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the California South Mission. While attending Brigham Young University in Provo UT, he met Jean Tillman, whom he often described as ""the best thing that ever happened to me."" They were married in 1980 in the Salt Lake Temple. JD began working at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1985. He began at the Help Desk, worked at several different positions in OIT, and later became a network systems administrator. He helped build and maintain various networks and assisted with the large relocation to the Anschutz Medical Campus. He had a gift for troubleshooting and was often the go-to guy when others couldn't figure out how to fix something. This usually involved him drawing pictures on a whiteboard. He loved helping others, explaining difficult concepts in simple ways, and keeping things running smoothly. He also loved to read and had a fascination with space, science, technology, and history. An active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, JD served in many capacities, including as a Bishop of the Aurora 1st Ward, Counselor in the Stake Presidency of the Arapahoe Colorado Stake, and Patriarch in the Arapahoe and Aurora South Stakes. He found much of his greatest satisfaction in ministering to individuals and greatly loved those he served with. JD possessed a strong testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, sustained the living prophet and apostles, and strove to live his faith each day. JD and Jean celebrated 38 years of marriage less than three weeks ago. Central to their faith is the knowledge that Jesus Christ has overcome death for all, and that their family is sealed together for eternity by the authority and power of God. Losing JD is painful, but it is temporary. Their family looks forward to a future day when, as they keep the promises they have made to God, they will be reunited as a family.