John Aaron Turley

John Aaron Turley, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, passed away on April 22, 2026, at the age of 82.

Born in San Diego, California, John graduated from Kearny High School and earned a Professional Engineering degree in Petroleum Engineering from Colorado School of Mines, along with a Master’s in Ocean Engineering from the University of Miami and executive training at Harvard Business School.

He began his career teaching at Marietta College before joining Marathon Oil in 1975. Over a 26-year career, John held leadership roles in the U.S. and internationally, ultimately serving as Vice President of Engineering & Technology in Littleton, Colorado.

John was an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and served in leadership and advisory roles supporting petroleum engineering education.

After retiring in 2001, he turned to writing. His novel Body Shots won the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Mystery Award. He also volunteered with SCORE, helping entrepreneurs build their businesses.

A passionate outdoorsman, John loved fishing in all its forms and shared that passion through programs like “Take a Kid Fishing” and trips with friends around the world.

Following the Deepwater Horizon disaster, John authored The Simple Truth: BP’s Macondo Blowout. His work led to his selection as an SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Distinguished Lecturer, during which he delivered 75 presentations worldwide.

John is survived by his best friend and wife of 61 years, Jan; sons John, of Denver, Colorado, father of Trent, Chrissy, and Lauren, and grandfather of Romen and Jaymin; and Jason (Cindy) of Mount Vernon, Iowa, and their children, Kenzie and Colby.

John is survived by his brothers. Jim (Olga) Turley, Anchorage, Alaska, Joe (Beth) Arrisi, Roy, Washington. Sisters Sandy Hickey, San Diego, California, Anne Arrisi, Wasilla, Alaska. Brothers-in-law, Jim (JoAnn) Decker, Benkelman, Nebraska, and Harry Recher, Dangar Island, Australia, and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Georgia and Sam Arrisi, his sister Judy Recher, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Peg and Lowell Bell and mother-in-law Margaret Roedel.

For anyone who would like to donate in John’s name (John A Turley), memorial contributions may be made to Colorado School of Mines toward the establishment of a scholarship in his memory or to Marietta College to support student scholarships. John never forgot what it was like to struggle financially through college and believed deeply in helping future generations of students pursue their education and dreams.