euskalkultura.eus

02/19/2017 - Lakewood, CO, USA

(originally published at Dignity Memorial)

September 13, 1934 – February 19, 2017

John was born in Elko, Nevada to Cruz and Edna (Allison) Garralda on September 13, 1934. The family moved to Howard, Kansas in the early forties to a dairy farm.

Upon graduation from high school, John went to Pittsburg State University where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Education. He then taught high school English in the Severy/Howard area and decided to complete his Master's Degree in Library Science at the University of Denver.

John returned to the Pittsburg area and worked at Porter Library at the university, ultimately becoming the Director of Libraries there. He hired his wife, Jean, for her first "real" job at the library and then married her on August 3, 1968.

He was active in the Kansas Library Association and enjoyed spending his weekends with Jean and the Strip-Pitters Camping Club. In 1975, John accepted the position of Director of Libraries at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado.

Shortly thereafter, John and Jean adopted their daughter, Jeannine.

John loved the outdoors and spent many weekends in the forests around the Gunnison area either gathering wood for the fireplace or 4-wheeling with the Gunnison 4-Wheelers. During this time he was very active in the Colorado Library Association and was instrumental in bringing technology into the library system.

The family moved to Wheat Ridge, Colorado in 1986 when John began working with the Colorado Alliance for Research Libraries (CARL). At CARL, John helped design one of the first digital Reader's Guides which eventually became The UnCover Company. John retired from UnCover in 2001.

John was proud of his Spanish-Basque heritage and in 2002 he and Jean were able to go to Spain.

He also spent his retirement reading, surfing the web, spending time with his beloved sisters and other family, and listening to music.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Cruz and Edna Garralda. He is survived by his wife, Jean Garralda of Lakewood, Colorado, his daughter Jeannine (Russell) Darnell of Dacono, Colorado, grandsons Anthony and Michael, his sisters Barbara (Charles) Rhine and Martina (Jerry) Hubbell, nieces Christi and Terri, nephews John and Matt, and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in John's name to one of two organizations; your local library or Outreach International, http://outreach-international.org. 

John will be interred at Crown Hill Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. A celebration of John's life will be held on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 10:30 am at Applewood Community of Christ Church, 3780 Ward Road, Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

Arrangements under the direction of Olinger Crown Hill Mortuary, Cemetery & Arboretum, Wheat Ridge, CO.