John Landrum

John Alexander Landrum, aka "Johnny Doa" as everyone called him, was born on September 30, 1942, in Denver, Colorado to his parents, William Alexander Lewis and Ruth Olivia Landrum. He was the eldest of four siblings, Donna Mae, Naomi, Rebecca, and Wilbur. John attended Gilpin Elementary, Cole Junior High, and graduated from Manual High School, where he was a member of the ROTC in 1957. His sister Rebecca fondly remembers him as their big brother whom they could always run to, to get and beat somebody up when anybody messed with them. In 1961, John met Jane Sherman and they married in 1962, to this union, two children were born Shannon and Sherri, and stepson, Paris Troy Sherman was embraced. They then divorced in 1968, but continued to be the best of friends. Later, he met his longtime friend and companion, Barbara Cortez. They were together for 13 years. Barbara remembers John was so handsome all the women wanted him. They parted their ways but remained best of friends until his demise. Somewhere in between his next adventure of life, he met Sonja Montiehl. Together, they had a daughter, Sonja "Fawn" Montiehl. John met Erlinda Hernandez and they were together for nine years, together they share one daughter, Melanie, who took very good care of her dad in his later years. John was also the stepfather to Dino, and Anna. John may have had stepchildren, but he never considered any of his children "step"; they were all his children. In the 1970's, John met and married Jenny Aguilar, to this union, a son was born, Gabriel Aguilar. John was always moving around and lived in many places, with his friend and companion Luchia, and even though they separated, they were also the best of friends. Later, John was blessed with 30 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren. The grandchildren loved their grandfather so much; they nicknamed him, "PaPa." "Little Johnny", as Uncle Johnny, his Aunts, Viola "Aunt Sister", Berniece, and Betty would call him, remember him as being "bad," as they fill the room with laughter. They remember riding the buses and trains with him and he would always sit on the right side, "white side," because he was so light-skinned. They would always have to go snatch him up and bring him back to the "wrong side," the darker colored side, as John would put it. His cousin, Saundra Hines, will miss how she would call him and he would say "I ain't feeling good," and hang up the phone, call her back at 11:00 pm and say, "who loves you baby." She would respond to him, "You do," and they would both laugh. John went into the military, and when he returned home; he found employment with Bob Anderson's Wrecking and Demolition, where he worked for over 30 years. His daughter Sherri remembers how her daddy would pick her and her brother, Shannon up in his big rig. He was so good at driving; he drove that 18-wheeler like it was a toy. She also remembers Shannon making her sit next to their dad because once he started shifting the gears, he would hit her in the head while shifting. They both remember him taking them to bars, and making them sing "In the Rain" by the Dramatics to the patrons at the bar because he wanted to brag on how he passed his gift of singing down to his children. John loved his music and his grandchildren. He had many memories with them when he became ill his eldest granddaughter, Jazzelle and her husband, Clifton took on the care of their Papa. They remember that he always had them laughing. He would remind his grandchildren of the things that he had done for them, saying, "Don't forget, I'm the bouga with the suga, and kiss me sweet and don't forget the meat." Clifton even started a lip-gloss line after that saying. Papa made sure that all of his grandchildren had anything they needed. He always would do his best to provide for school, graduations, proms, birthdays, and holidays. His nieces and nephews remember him, as always talking "stuff," but Uncle Johnny would give them the shirt off his back if they needed it. Johnny was a good friend to anyone and everyone he encountered, he was not perfect, but in his 72 years of life, after a long talk with his daughters, Sherri, and Melanie, and his son, Shannon, "he finally found the peace he was searching for." John Landrum was preceded in death by his mother, Ruth Olivia Doage; and the father that raised him, Wilbur Doage; his father, William Alexander Lewis; his brother, Wilbur Shaw Doage; and his two grandsons, Kurt and Devin. John Alexander Landrum departed this life on June 23, 2015, in Longmont, Colorado. Those left to cherish his memories, his sons, Shannon R. Landrum, Gabriel (Latasia) Aguilar, Paris Troy, Dino (Linda) Reyes; his daughters, Sherri R. Landrum, Melanie Landrum, Sonja "Fawn" Montiehl, Anna (Andrew) Reyes, Shauna Landrum; his sisters: Donna Mae Doage, Naomi (James) Carter, Rebecca R. Mayfield; his aunts, Viola "Aunt Sister" Hines, Betty Box, Berniece Burns, Norma Doage, Mable Doage; his uncle, Johnny Greene; his sister-in-law, Noelle Kucynski; his longtime friends, Larry Bradley "His Cousin", Ernie, Martha Martinez, Butch Greene, Luchia, Jesse, and Barbara; 30 grandchildren; 29 great grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends. To everything, there is a season, and God granted that this time as such was yours. You will be missed daddy.

Funeral Home: Pipkin Braswell Funerals and Cremation - 2050 Uinta Street, Denver, Colorado
Visitation: 7/1/2015 at 4:00 PM - Pipkin Braswell Chapel of Peace - 6601 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO
Service: 7/2/2015 at 1:00 PM - Friendship Baptist Church of Christ Jesus - 880 Fairfax Street, Denver, CO
Family Gathering: 7/2/2015 - Friendship Baptist Church of Christ Jesus - 2428 Ogden Street, Denver, CO