John Jefferson

John passed away peacefully in his Lafayette home on Saturday, April 3, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Cecilia Jefferson and his daughters Melissa Gray (Bryanna, Nyleeah and Nassyra) and Rayna Jefferson. John is also survived by one great-granddaughter, two great-grandsons, his sisters (Leila Jones, Donna MacNeal, Juliet Santifer, Trudy Nelson and Sherry Jefferson), and a host of nieces, nephews and extended family.

John is preceded in death by his mother Mabel Drisdon Jefferson and his father John Isaic Jefferson.

John Gregory Jefferson was born in Denver, Colorado in 1951 and Dr. Justina Ford was the attending physician during his birth. He grew up in the Five Points neighborhood, and the family moved to the Park Hill neighborhood in the 1960's where John attended George Washington High School. Starting in 1971, John attended the University of Colorado at Boulder. Along with his fellow members of the Black Student Alliance, one of the highlights of John's academic experience was meeting and having dinner with political activist and philosopher Dr. Angela Davis. John helped organize and plan Davis' visit to CU Boulder when she served as a panelist for The Conference on World Affairs.

In 1974, John's strong work ethic led him to full time employment at IBM where he served in many capacities during his 34 year tenure. In 1976, John met Cecilia Williams and the two married in 1980. The couple often hosted get-togethers with family and friends where John loved playing card games like Bid Whist with his sisters.

In addition to being a fierce advocate for human rights, John was deeply passionate about education, economics and the arts. John also loved music and spent numerous summers attending the Winter Park Jazz Festival with his wife, daughters and in-laws. In his later years, John frequently attended jazz concerts at locations such as The Soiled Dove and the Denver Botanic Gardens.

John was an avid fan of the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Rockies. He could often be found having phone conversations with his best friend Bobbie Tye where the two would critique each team's performance. Each spring, John and his daughter Rayna would spend hours bonding together by watching the NCAA March Madness tournament.

Cooking and baking were very therapeutic for John, and his family often looked forward to when he would bake his legendary pound cake. During his retirement, John and Cecilia loved taking their twin granddaughters on outings to places like the movie theater, the Denver Zoo and the pumpkin patch. John was a compassionate, caring, generous and loving man. He was a source of wisdom, guidance and moral support for many family members and friends. His sense of humor and kind spirit will be greatly missed.

A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send monetary donations to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.