Obituary of John Zaffore

John Zaffore of Thornton, Colorado entered eternal life with Jesus Christ on Saturday January 14, 2023. He was 102 years old.

John Zaffore was born October 18, 1920 in Hammond, Indiana. He passed away peacefully on January 14, 2023 in Westminster, Colorado. He is survived by his daughter, Susan Zaffore Bradley (Dan), son David Zaffore, grandson Jason Bradley (Jamie), granddaughters Lisa Bradley Albo (James) and Faith Zaffore. His four great-grandchildren are, Ian Zaffore, Giacomo Albo, Antonio Albo, and Coleton Bradley. His sister Mary still lives a very active life in Hammond. His nephew Tom Zaffore (Ray,) niece Kat Joel-Reich (Hazen), and niece Cindy Zaffore will miss him as well. He was preceded in death by his wife, Naomi Zaffore and his son, John Frank Zaffore (Kathy.) His brother Thomas was killed during WWII and his brother Nachenzio passed away in 1986

John married his first wife, Esther Gutowsky in 1941. Their daughter Susan was born in 1945. John was a tool and die maker in Hammond, Indiana until he was drafted into WWII. He served part of his time with the Army Air Force in Occupied Germany as an intake supervisor for mechanics. After the war, he and his wife and daughter moved to Pueblo, Colorado where he worked at the steel mill. His son John Frank was born in Pueblo in 1948. He later moved to Denver, Colorado where he earned his business degree from the University of Denver in 1953. During college, and for many years after, he worked at The Rocky Mountain News as an advertising salesman. He later sold insurance and became a real estate broker. He and Esther were divorced in 1962.

In 1965 John married Naomi Clouse. His son David was born in 1970. A few years later he began working at Keebler Bakery. His grandchildren knew him as the Keebler Elf. He always had Keebler cookies on hand for the kids and looked every bit like a fun loving elf. He retired from Keebler in 1986.

John was a true energizer bunny. In his younger years he camped, fished, hiked, golfed, and skied. After he retired from Keebler, he had a booth at the local flea market, collected and sold scrap metal, had a popcorn stand at the Lyons summer festivals, met his many close friends at McDonald’s every weekday morning, worked out, and attended church every Sunday. He took photos at every event and then sent copies of his pictures to everyone present. He rescued several different dogs who loved him dearly.

John’s family, friends, and neighbors will miss him deeply. He was kind and gentle with a warm laugh. No matter what the weather, he always said, “It’s a beautiful day.” Everyone has their favorite stories of his many adventures and misadventures and creative solutions to problems. He and his lady friend Il U Nam were spotted all over town in his little truck, American flag waving from the antenna. For more than 102 years John lived a full and rich life, dedicated to the love of Jesus.

Interment will be at Fort Logan National Cemetery, followed by a church service at North Federal Baptist Church. Please contact the family if you would like more details.