John Andrew Yelenick

John Andrew Yelenick, age 92, went home to God early Thanksgiving morning, November 26, 2015. That his soul soared on the day dedicated to gratitude was fitting, given that he was such a thankful man. His family and friends, in turn, are deeply grateful for his presence in their lives, and for the many ways he enriched our Denver community. John A. Yelenick was a man of humility, personal integrity, loyalty, and generosity to others. He was deeply grounded in his Catholic faith. John was a graduate of Regis high school and college. He was a World War II veteran of the Navy, who served in both the Atlantic and Pacific, he became, in his later years, an advocate for peace. ‎Upon returning to Denver after the war, he met and married Maesel Joyce Reed, with whom he raised five children. He became a self-employed small businessman in the dry cleaning business. He served as President of the Denver Jaycees, and became active in the Democratic Party. Throughout his life, John was highly devoted to civic engagement. He served on the Denver City Council, representing northeast Denver. Continuing his legacy of public service, John also served for eighteen years as a Commissioner of the Denver Water Board. While his contributions to the life of our Denver community were great, of even more importance to John was his Catholic faith. For more than a decade, he served as Chair of the Denver Archbishop's annual fund-raising campaign, traveling across the state. He was renowned for his speaking ability, and delivered keynote speeches for a number of religious and civic organizations. He was tireless in his work for his parishes -- including his first parish, Holy Rosary (which his father, John J. Yelenick, as immigrant from Slovenia, and mother, Amelia (""Molly,"" born in Leadville) had helped found; Cure d'Ars, where John and Maesel began raising their children, and finally Christ the King, serving as a pastoral assistant and sacristan for many years, until retiring at the age of 88. ‎John believed deeply in the Gospel message of loving one's neighbor, and of the equality and dignity of all people. He was an advocate for the ordination of women in the Catholic church. He felt deeply betrayed by the sex-abuse scandals of his beloved Church. John was dedicated to improving his community, He served on the national board of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He served for ten years as President of Samaritan House. He received countless acknowledgments and awards from a host of organizations, both national and local. John is survived by his wife of 62 years, Maesel Reed Yelenick‎; five children, and their spouses: Mary Therese Yelenick (Elizabeth L. Broad) of New York; John Joseph Yelenick (Lisa Huffhines Yelenick) of Denver; Joseph Thomas (""Tom"") Yelenick of California; Ann Marie Yelenick of Denver; and James Andrew Yelenick of Denver. ‎John is also survived by eight grandchildren: Johnathan Avery Yelenick, Joshua James Yelenick, Aaron Jacob Yelenick, ‎Kathryn Rebecca Yelenick (Bryan Attardi), and Sophia Francis Yelenick, all of Colorado, Caroline Ann (""Callie"") Bortle of Texas; Rachael Taylor Linden Yelenick of California, and Lauren Ashley Linden Yelenick of Florida. He is also survived by one great-grandchild, Odysseus (""Ody"") Eugene Muirhead. John's two sisters, Mary Ann DeSalvo (Jules, dec.) and Lillian Pocrnick (Tony, dec.) also survive him, as does Laverne Bonaquisti Yelenick, the widow of John's deceased brother Joseph Yelenick‎. Also surviving John are innumerable cousins and their families, including Canjars, De Bells, Drobnicks, Dunnebeckes, Horvats, Jersins, and others; both in Colorado and around the world. John's family, friends, fellow parishioners, and community recipients of John's many kindnesses and generosity for decades join in thanking John A. Yelenick for a remarkable life well lived and greatly loved. Memorial ceremonies for John will begin with a recitation of the Roasary at Christ the King Catholic Church, 830 Elm St. Denver, Co 80220, at 5:30 on Wed. 12/2/15. Memorial Mass will take place the following day, 12/3/15 at Christ the King Catholic Church at 10 am. Reception and burial to follow. In lieu of flowers donations be made to the Samaritan House at http://www.ccdenver.org/homeless-shelters/samaritan-house/or mailed to Samaritan House C/O Catholic Charities, attn:Accounting, 4045 Pecos, Denver, CO 80211. Please share memories and condolences below.