John Hay Salazar

John Hay was born the second of two children on November 29, 1933 in Hancock, Michigan to loving parents Jean Elizabeth Adelaide Hay and Jose Guillermo (Bill) Salazar. He spent the first five years of his childhood living with his doting grandparents Agnes Phillips and Earl Hay, and his mother Jean, in Hancock, Michigan. There, he would learn his love of fishing and Lemon Meringue Pies. 

At the Age of 5, he moved with his mother back to El Paso, TX and spent summers at the family ranch “El Fresnal” in Chihuahua, Mexico with his family including his father Bill and his sister Jean. There he would learn to ride a horse and help his dad round up cattle for auction. He loved his horse Silver and would mount his horse from behind while jumping off a fence, just like in the Lone Ranger movies. There he would also live with his grandparents Manuel Salazar and Sophia Urrutia. He would attend daily mass with his grandmother Sophia at the ranch chapel. Many childhood memories were made at the ranch, including campfires with the ranch hands and raising a wild doe named Winnie Winnow that would have a bell on it’s neck to announce his presence at the ranch. The yearling would later visit the ranch when it was an adult to see John. Every summer, John would visit the family cabin on Lake Gerald in Hanncock, and became life-long friends with Dick Cohn where they would fish on the lake. 

After graduating from El Paso High School, he would attend Colorado State University to study Agriculture to someday run his own ranch (and also to fly fish). He was also skilled at judging sheep in a club at CSU and was a proud member of Farmhouse Fraternity. He graduated from CSU in Economics, and later with a Doctorate of Philosophy. He also received a Master’s Degree at Kansas State University. He was drafted into the Army and honorably served during the Korean War. 

Outside of Manhattan KS he would fulfill his dream of running his own ranch and attending Kansas State University, where he would meet Barbara Groothuis, his future wife, on a blind-date. They would fall in love and on July 5, 1963 John would marry Barbara at the Sacred Heart Church in Greenleaf, KS, and so began a 55 year love story. Together, John and Barbara then moved to Canon City, CO where John would work for the government. On January 31, 1966, John and Barbara would have their first daughter, Julie Ann in Canyon City, CO. Then they would move to Fort Collins, CO where John pursued his doctorate degree at CSU. There they would have their second daughter, Christi Lynne on December 30, 1967. Later, they would have their son Todd William on March 20, 1972 in Lubbock, TX, where John was a Professor at Texas Tech University. They would then move to Emporia, KS, where John would be a professor at Emporia State University. Later, they moved their family to Colorado where John would again work for the government as a Land Appraiser. 

John and Barbara were happy to see their daughter Christi marry Tony Istvan (m June 12, 1993) and their son Todd marry Lisa Dale (m July 14, 2001). He was also proud to become a “Papa’ to Samuel Haydn Istvan (b August 3, 2003), Ashley Grace Istvan (b October 16, 2008), Chloe Haylee Salazar (b October 3, 2005), and Tyler William Salazar (b December 11, 2008). John would spend his retirement years travelling to Europe and living in Castle Pines, CO near his children and grandchildren. He had the uncanny ability to connect with strangers with his storytelling, even on a parkbench. 

He loved to watch Sam play soccer, tennis and swim, Tyler play flag football and cross country, Chloe cheer, and Ashley play volleyball, soccer, cross country, and Irish dance. He also was proud to see his Grandson Sam graduate from Regis Jesuit HS and attend Carnegie Mellon University and knew his grand-daughter Chloe graduated from Valor HS to attend Washburn University. He was also very proud of Ashley attending Regis Jesuit HS and Tyler attending Valor HS, where they are thriving. 

Papa passed away on October 28, 2024 at 6:15 pm, at the age of 90. He was surrounded by love with his children at his side at his passing. He was so loved and will be missed by his children and his grandchildren His funeral mass will be at 10:30 am on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Castle Rock, CO (Visitation and Rosary at 10:00). He will be buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Castle Rock, CO, where his body will rest in wait for the Last Judgement when Christ returns in glory. 

Papa would not want us to be sad when he is gone. He would want us to remember all his fabulous stories about his life at the ranch and fishing tales from the UP of Michigan, Vail and Estes Park, Colorado. He had a wonderful long life and now will be our angel in heaven. Rest peacefully, dear Papa, Loving Father, Husband, Brother, Uncle, Cousin, and friend. Those of us still here on earth will truly miss your smile, kindness and love, but we know you will watch over us and we will joyfully reunite with you someday. “Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” (from A River Runs through It by Norman Maclean).

Written lovingly by his children on November 1, 2024