John Papoff Jr.

JOHN PAPOFF JR. Graveside services for Aztec, N.M. resident John Papoff Jr. will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7 at Arriola Cemetery. Pastor Scott Hartle will be officiating. John was born to Tina and John Papoff on May 1, 1929. John grew up in Bakersfield, Calif. where he attended school and graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1942. He then joined the U.S. Army and served in Korea as a Russian interpreter for four years. Upon his homecoming he went to work for the local telephone company, Mountain Bell, in Bakersfield where he met his beloved wife, Betty. John and Betty were married July 24, 1954 where he became a father to Betty's three brats, Rick, Sandy and Cheryl. They resided in Bakersfield for a few years before the family moved to Blanding, Utah where John hauled uranium ore from the Moonlight Mine for a number of years. They then moved to Farmington, N.M. in 1961 and established Four Corners Electric. While living in Farmington, John enjoyed boating, snow skiing and travel. Later they moved to Holbrook, Ariz. and established Basin Electric where he retired in 2000 and returned to Aztec, N.M. John and Betty enjoyed travel and spending time with each other. On February 10, 2011 John lost his loving wife, Betty, of 57 years. After a long battle with cancer he moved to Cortez to live with his son, Rick, and daughter-in-law, Bev, for the last five months where he was cared for by his family. John passed away Saturday, October 4, 2014 at Southwest Memorial Hospital. John is survived by his sister, Laura Antrim of Coronado, Calif.; son, Rick Papoff and wife, Bev; and daughter, Cheryl Johnson; six grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife, Betty Papoff; both of his parents, Tina and John Papoff; sister, Nelly Papoff; daughter, Sandy Aulston; and great grandson, Wyatt Papoff.