John Filmer Crump III

John Filmer Crump III, 85, passed away peacefully on November 27, 2025, in Pueblo, Colorado. Born on February 10, 1940, in Denver, he lived a life grounded in family, friends, integrity, and a deep love for the Colorado outdoors he called home.

John proudly served in the United States Navy from 1958 to 1962. During his service, he served first aboard a battleship and then was transferred to the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Kearsarge. John spent the rest of his enlistment deployed aboard the aircraft carrier overseas, experiences that allowed him to see much of the world and shaped his lifelong appreciation for hard work and adventure. A highlight of his Naval service was being aboard the Kearsarge when it plucked astronaut Wally Shirra and his space capsule from the Pacific Ocean. After receiving his honorable discharge, he returned to Colorado and married the love of his life, Patricia, beginning a partnership that lasted 62 years and remained the center of his world.

John’s early professional years included work in fence installation, rough-frame carpentry, and plumbing. In 1980, he embarked on the career that became his professional legacy: home inspections. For 25 years he helped countless families evaluate and understand the homes they hoped to purchase. His dedication and expertise earned him recognition from Westword Magazine as Denver’s Best Home Inspector, an honor that reflected both his skill and his character.

A passionate four-wheeling enthusiast, John was deeply involved in the off-road community for nearly four decades. He was an active member of the Oshwego Jeepers and the Colorado Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs from 1968 until his retirement to Pueblo in 2005. He was an original organizer of the Four Wheel Emergency Assistance Team (FEAT), which partnered with the Denver Office of Emergency Preparedness to transport medical professionals and essential personnel across the metro area during severe blizzards-service that reflected his instinct to help others whenever needed.

After retiring, John and Patricia built their home in Pueblo West, where he embraced a new and fulfilling chapter of life. Retirement brought him a growing circle of friends and several activities he fully enjoyed. He loved biking with friends along the nature trail at the lake and discovered a real knack for pickleball. His Pueblo friendships grew steadily through these activities, and he cherished the community and companionship he found there. This chapter brought him joy, laughter, and a renewed rhythm of life that he deeply appreciated.

John and Patricia also shared a love of travel and adventure, visiting all 50 states and many Canadian provinces. They explored nearly all of them in their truck and camper-Hawaii being the lone exception that required an airplane. National parks held a special place in John’s heart, with Yellowstone, Denali, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Everglades and the Redwoods among his favorites. Still, no place was more meaningful to him than the mountains of Colorado, where he felt most at home on a four-wheel-drive trail with Patricia by his side.

John is survived by his wife, Patricia Crump; daughter and son-in-law, Becky and Paul Christoffersen; grandchildren, Josh and Katie Christoffersen, Logan Crump, and Ivy-Lynn Gaona; three great-grandchildren; and siblings, Tom (Judy) Crump, Frank (Ruth) Crump, Margo (Ralph) Dunbar and Bart (Nora) Lund. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Bernice Crump, and his son, John Joseph Crump.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. December 9, 2025, at Pikes Peak National Cemetery, 10545 Drennan Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80925. A memorial reception will follow at the Southeast and Armed Services YMCA, 2190 Jet Wing Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80916.

John leaves behind a legacy of service, devotion, craftsmanship, friendship, and adventure. Those who knew him will remember his steady reliability, his love of the outdoors, and the joy he found in sharing life’s journeys with Patricia. His memory will remain a blessing and inspiration to the family and friends whose lives he enriched.

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To the Tune of “How Great Thou Art”

“How Great the Journey – For John”

Verse 1

O Lord his God, when John rode through the mountains,

On rugged trails where only few would dare.

Black Bear Pass, and Holy Cross before him,

Your handiwork he saw carved everywhere.

Refrain

Then sings our hearts with grateful praise and love,

For every road You let him wander through.

Then sings our hearts, now lifting him above,

How great the journey, now complete in You.

Verse 2

From Imogene to wild Schofield’s narrow canyon,

On Red Cone’s ridge beneath the open sky.

On Engineer he felt Your wind around him,

Your steady presence guiding every mile.

Refrain

Then sings our hearts with grateful praise and love,

For every road You let him wander through.

Then sings our hearts, now lifting him above,

How great the journey, now complete in You.

Verse 3

And when at last he reached that final sunrise,

And left these peaks for brighter heights above.

We picture John on heaven’s trails unending,

Held in Your mercy, resting in Your love.

Refrain

Then sings our hearts with grateful praise and love,

For every road You let him wander through.

Then sings our hearts, now lifting him above,

How great the journey, now complete