John Stephen Green's Obituary
PLEASE NOTE: Celebration of Life will be held in June (TBA). Anyone looking for more information regarding event details and donations can check John or Rhonda's Facebook. JOHN GREEN, LONG-TIME COLORADO PREP COACH AND ADMINISTRATOR AND WORLD CHAMPION TRACK COACH, PASSES AWAY High School, USA Track & Field Director of Development for Men's & Women's Decathlon & Heptathlon John Stephen Green sprang into the world on mid-wife's Grandma Benson's kitchen table on June 7, 1951, in Sargent, Nebraska. From that time forward, he never slowed down until he entered perfect peace on his terms, after a five-year battle with colon cancer on March 21, 2021. John's life can never be summed up in paragraphs. He was a high school stand-out in football, basketball and track and field at Sargent High School and went on to compete in both football and track at Doane College in Crete, NE. He was picked up as free agent-wide receiver first for the Green Bay Packers and then the Denver Broncos. He ended his professional football career as a Winnipeg Bomber in the Canadian Football League. He parlayed that competitive, can-do spirit into becoming one of the most sought-after educators, coaches, speakers and mentors locally, nationally and internationally winning state track and field and cross country titles with Aurora Central (1986) and Eaglecrest High Schools (2002). He touched thousands of lives from the youth, high school, collegiate, national and international levels. Many of his protegees went on to compete at the national and international track and field stage, including Pat Manson, state and national high school recordholder in the pole vault. John served as a teacher, coach, athletic director at Aurora Central and Eaglecrest before retiring as the District Athletic Director for Cherry Creek Schools. The commitment to and oversight of the completion of CCSD's Legacy Stadium was one of his proudest moments when the athletes ran on the field on for the first of many Friday Night Lights. Track and Field was his passion, he went on to serve as USA Track and Field's Director of Development for the Men's and Women's Decathlon and Heptathlon. He traveled the world to China, Brazil, Japan, Germany, coaching and mentoring world class Track and Field athletes as a coach and manager for the T&F World Championships and Pan-American Games including the esteemed Thorpe Cup. His legacy as a servant-leader will forever live on in Nebraska and Colorado - nationally and internationally through his namesake awards, recognitions and inductions to multiple Hall of Fames. John is survived by his wife, Rhonda Blanford-Green, his children-John Austin and Aspen Mary and grand-daughter, Mya Matticks-Green, along with his sister, Deborah Burroughs and numerous cousins, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, teammates, athletes, coaches, colleagues and friends. Please read about Mr. Green at the following websites: https://www.denverpost.com/2021/03/24/john-green-coach-administrator-dies-colon-cancer/ https://www.usatf.org/news/2021/usatf-long-time-track-and-field-administrator-john https://gazette.com/ap/health/john-green-accomplished-colorado-coach-and-athletic-administrator-passes-away-from-colon-cancer/article_55c28a0e-6a0c-59c4-8777-3043452ee544.html https://usanewssite.com/sports/john-green-accomplished-colorado-coach-and-athletic-administrator-passes-away-from-colon-cancer/ To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John Stephen Green, please visit our floral store.
What’s your fondest memory of John?
What’s a lesson you learned from John?
Share a story where John's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with John you’ll never forget.
How did John make you smile?