John Miliotes

John was born in Merrimac, Massachusetts. From a young age he loved to sing, and was encouraged by his music teacher. That love of and talent in music followed him to the end of his life. He left home after graduating from high school, and spent an adventurous few years. One of his early jobs was diving for sponges in Tarpon Springs, Florida. He also spent time in Texas before going to the San Luis Valley in Colorado where he met his future wife, Josephine Suazo. They were married on July 23, 1949. John worked in the San Luis Valley for a few years and then moved to Denver with his family, then including his son David. He worked as a painter and as a paint salesman for several years. He discovered his calling as a salesman, and found work with Key Industries. His territory included western and Midwestern states so he was on the road a lot during those years, although he based his business at the Denver Merchandise Mart for over 20 years. He remained with Key until his retirement in 1986. During those years his success as a salesman was recognized by many awards from Key, including a pension that was provided to only a few key persons in the organization. After his retirement he took on many other ventures including security guard, chauffeur, and even a business of picking up and disposing of appliances. Many will remember his old gray beat-up truck and some still wonder how he ever managed to load those big appliances by himself, but John was pretty creative! He lived to make a deal! John was a generous person, sharing with friends Key clothing or money when it was needed. Over the years his family has heard from many people the stories of John's caring and assistance. John loved to fish and hunt. Over the years he took fishing trips to Alaska and to Mexico as well as some favorite creeks in Colorado and to the east coast. He loved to be on the road. John is survived by Josie, his wife of 61 years, son David (Carol) and a family of in-laws, nieces, and nephews. The funeral will be held Tuesday, April 6 at 1:00 pm at Notre Dame Catholic Church, 2190 South Sheridan Blvd. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association at 455 Sherman Street, Suite 500, Denver, CO 80203. www.alz.org/co Please share your memories of John and condolences with his family by selecting the ""Sign Guestbook"" button below.