John G. Betin

John was born in Latvia in the summer of 1942 and recently passed away in a nursing home in Centennial, Colorado.

He emigrated to the US in 1949 with his parents and two sisters to a farming community in West Texas through sponsorship by the Lutheran Church for World War II displaced persons. A brother was born to the family after moving from West Texas to Dallas, Texas. While living in Dallas, the family became US citizens.

John was educated in the Dallas public schools, where he was a good student and ran track for Bryan Adams High School, setting several records in long distance running. He graduated from Bryan Adams in 1961 and enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin.

John graduated from UT-Austin with a degree in Finance, while also running track for the Texas Longhorns.

After graduation, he began a successful career in insurance working at Southland Life in Dallas and later an insurance holding company in Englewood, Colorado in 1983.

John’s true love was the outdoors. During summer breaks in college he worked for the US Forest Service in Montana and Idaho. While working in Texas and later in Colorado, he spent many a vacation traveling to Wyoming and hiking the rough terrain of the Wind River Mountains.

As a Coloradan he became an expert skier and avid fly fisherman, fishing the rivers of northern Colorado, Wyoming and Montana and skiing the black diamond slopes of Colorado. John was also an avid runner for many years and was extremely well read, possessing an extensive library. He was always up for a good cup of coffee, a nice glass of wine and good conversation.

His love of the outdoors was cut short by a series of strokes that disabled him and kept him from the outdoor activities he loved.

John was preceded in death by his parents, John and Erika Betin, and his younger brother Richard. John is survived by his sisters, Irene Betin of Aurora, Colorado and Barbara Betin Macha (spouse Mark Macha) of Highland Village, Texas; two nieces, Heather Souders and Robin Craig, whom he dearly loved and doted on during their growing up years; and other extended family.

John will remain forever in our hearts. A memorial service is pending. Irene and Barbara express their gratitude to the pastoral staff and homebound parishioner ministry of Bethany Lutheran Church in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado and to the staff of Orchard Park Healthcare Center for the care given John over his last 15 months.