John Joe Roybal

John J. Roybal, 93, of Denver, CO, passed away on June 4. Known for his witty comments and the sparkle in his eye, John was the beloved husband of Beatrice (Dominguez); father of John (Paul), Ron (Diane), and Mike (Toni); grandfather of Colin (Mike), Alexandra (Zeshan), Kirstin, Kelsey, and Mallory Bettag (Brad). Survived by brother Ernest. Sisters Margaret (Pacheco), Nadine (Denton), and Helen (Archuleta), and brothers Louis, Fred, John, and Victor, all pre-deceased. John was raised in Trinidad, Colorado, where he was a coal miner. He met his wife Beatrice at a dance just outside of Cokedale, where she remembers that he ""stepped all over her toes."" They were married for more than 70 years. John served in America's toughest battles in the Pacific theater as a Marine in Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, Saipan, and Tinian. He returned to his wife a decorated marine, suffering only from malaria. While in the service, John's dad Victor died in the mines. Determined he would not follow that path, John and Bea left southern Colorado eventually moving to Aurora, Colorado. John would go on to work at Buckley Air Force Base as Chief of Plumbing and Heating and continuing his service in the Colorado National Guard, until his retirement in the mid-1980s. Known for his love of family, John enjoyed spending as much time as he could with his kids and grandkids going fly fishing, camping, hunting, and just enjoying the great outdoors. He was also known as the ultimate fixer-upper, and ""master"" of duct tape. His other love was candy -– stashed in every pocket. As he heads in to the here-after, rest assured the grandkids have made certain his pockets are filled with a hefty stash! Visitation Wednesday, June 11 5pm until 7pm, Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 1091 South Colorado Boulevard. Funeral Mass, Thursday, June 12, 2pm, Risen Christ Catholic Church. Burial, Friday, June 13, 9 am, Staging Area ""A"", Fort Logan National Cemetery with Marine Corps and All Veterans Honor Guard honors followed immediately by Catholic Burial Prayers. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to: Alzheimer's Association, 1850 York Road, Suite D Timonium, MD 21093 or http://act.alz.org/goto/John_Roybal. Please note John J. Roybal's name on the memo line of the check or donations.