John Thomas Trumble

Our loving husband, father, and dear friend had his “going home day” on April 28, 2025.

“Thom” was born to John Lester and Sarah Goldean Goss Trumble on January 14, 1942 in Dyersburg, Tennessee. He was the youngest of three children with two sisters, Leslye Lou and Barbara Joann.

When Thom was five, the Trumble family moved to Denver, where he grew up in the Capitol Hill area. As a boy, he contributed to the family by delivering newspapers on his bicycle and working in the family bakery. He loved fishing with his dad, spending time with his school friends, playing the trombone, and participating in Boy Scouts. He attended Dora Moore Elementary, Morey Junior High, and graduated from East High School in 1959. He earned an athletic letter as manager of the wrestling team. He spent summers and free time as a ranch hand on the Butterfield’s Resort Valley Ranch near Foxton, making great memories riding his horse and helping with activities around the ranch.

Thom attended Fort Lewis College in Durango where he studied business and ran cross country. He fondly remembered playing pranks in the dorms and nerve-wracking wintertime drives overWolf Creek Pass to get back to Denver. He proudly worked for General Motors Parts Distribution Center for 35 years starting in 1964 and was a long-time member of the United Auto WorkersUnion.

Thom married Kathleen Clark in 1964 and together they welcomed two children, Troy Thomas Trumble (1966) and Tamara Kay Trumble (1968) into the world. The Trumble family was among the earliest residents of Roxborough Park, buying a partially built home among the rocks and completing much of the remaining construction after work hours. Thomloved living in Roxborough and called it home for 43 years. He planted over 100 trees on the property and watched many of them grow to be mighty and tall (he even had to rescue a cat or two over the years!).

Thom worked part-time as the roving security officer for the residential area and adopted the nickname of “Roxborough Range Rider.” He helped people out of snowy ditches, wrangled rattlesnakes, herded cows, and assisted the sheriff’s departmentin a variety of calls. He served on the volunteer fire department, worked at the entry gate, monitored the community recyclingcenter, and tracked water usage for the Roxborough Metro District. He was even called upon to dress up as Smoky Bear for the occasional State Park educational event.

He met Susan Trumble, then a state park ranger for Roxborough State Park, patrolling along the boundary between the community and the State Park land. They were married in 1982among the rocks where they had met and later welcomed a son, James Thomas Kraner Trumble (1990).

Thom had a passion for cars and owned a long list of them -from Chevette to Corvette, Blazer to Trans Am, Buick to GMC pickup, and everything in between. He took part in car rallies in his Studebaker Avanti and proudly showed off the Avanti at car shows in Roxborough and other locations. He enjoyed sailing, canoeing, kite flying, hiking, camping with the family in his VW van and later his Sprinter camper. He experienced many great adventures in his lifetime including visits to Germany, Italy,Mexico, and Alaska. He camped with family at the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone and Yosemite. In Colorado, Redstone and the Maroon Bells were some of his favorite places to visit.

In the early 1990s, Thom took on a new challenge and accomplished the dream of building a log cabin. He and Susie selected a plot of land atop the mountains above Larkspur with a breathtaking view of Pikes Peak and dark skies great for starwatching. The cabin was a labor of love for family to enjoy, and we all have many happy memories of the cool mountain breezes and the views we shared there.

Through the years, Thom enjoyed the companionship of his dogs, Spock, Dax and Eddie. He also had a handful of cats (Jerimiah Johnson, Rainbow, Tigger, MaryKate, and Ashley), fish, birds, turkeys, and even a turtle he’d rescued from the side of the road. Not to mention the horse that he loved riding on the Butterfield Ranch as a teenager. Later in life, Thom enjoyed watching a wide selection of movies, strategizing alongsidecastaways on “Survivor,” reading westerns and Stephen King,and reminiscing with family and friends. He and Susie treasured getaways to their winter home in Las Cruces, New Mexico for ten beautiful years, where Thom loved caring for his trees and watching the desert sun rise over the Organ Mountains.

In his own way he was fond of pranks - each Christmas, he’dtrick the kids into thinking Santa Claus had landed on the roof by tossing golf balls up onto the shingles and letting them bounce back down. For each birthday, he’d ‘arrange’ for Micky Mouse to give you a call and sing you “Happy Birthday”. We will miss these and his many stories and jokes.

Thom will be remembered for his friendly smile, hischaracteristic wave from the patrol Jeep as the “Roxborough Range Rider,” his willingness to help a friend or stranger, his love of Roxborough Park, his signature ‘Dove call’, and his love for family and friends. He lived life well and is loved by many –we will miss him dearly.

Thom was predeceased by his parents, sisters Lou and Joann,and daughter Tammy. He is survived by his wife Susie, sons Troy (Amber Rudolph) and Jamie (Marissa Davis), four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made in his memory to the Friends of Roxborough State Park. Contributions will be used to fund projects near the Sundance Ranch, one of Thom’s favorite areas within the park. Donations can be made at The Friends of Roxborough State Park or mailed to The Friends of Roxborough State Park, 4751 Roxborough Drive, Littleton, Colorado 80125.

A celebration of life will be held at Roxborough later this year.