John Munn
Marriages
Carole DuMahaut - 1954
Died in 1981
Suzzane Clapp - 1983
Obituaries
Steamboat Pilot - September 26, 2019
January 8, 1933- September 23, 2019
On Monday, September 23, 2019, John S. Munn passed away in Denver, Colorado.
John was born on January 8, 1933 in Detroit, Michigan to Roy and Eleanor Munn. An ardent Wolverine fan, he received both his BSE (1955) and MBA (1958) from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. John married Carole in 1954 and together they raised two children, John, Jr. and Laura, until Carole’s death in 1981. John married his current wife, Suzanne, in 1983 and formed an extended family with her children, Wendy, Becky and Jane.
As an engineer, John’s passion was to make things better. Striving for “betterness” was his mantra through all of his endeavors. This, combined with his entrepreneurial drive, lead him to paving a path of success through various businesses. From his Air Force start (1955) as a project officer to project engineer at Sperry Vickers, to consulting with Booz, Allen and Hamilton (1969) John accumulated experience that allowed him to become Director of Finance and Director of Corporate Development at American Motors Corporation from 1969-1982. From there he became Owner/President of Wheel Horse Products (1982-1989), which was ultimately purchased by Toro. He was then able to achieve his dream of going west and by trading horsepower for the power of horses, John became owner of Vista Verde Ranch, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, 1991-2006.
Throughout John’s life, he has touched and made better the lives of many people. He always had time to lend an ear and advice to many individuals whom he came across and support their business ventures. On a broader scale, John gave his time and talents on various committees and boards including the University of Michigan Medical Center (Chair, Momentum Executive Committee), University of Michigan Cancer Center (Chair, Advisory Committee), President/Director of the Munn Foundation, Inc., Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, and the Colorado Dude Ranch Association.
John was preceded in death by his father Roy S. Munn, his mother Eleanor Bassett, sister Betty, and first wife Carole (DuMahaut). He is survived by his wife Suzanne (Clapp), his son John, Jr. (Nan), daughter Laura Seagram Mize (Brian), stepdaughters Wendy McNarney, Becky Hoskins and Jane Wolfe, and 11 grandchildren.
A celebration event to reflect on and honor John’s life will take place at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to the John S. and Suzanne C. Munn Endowed Research Fund at the University of Michigan Cancer Center, http://victors.us/johnsmunn.
