John Wilferth of Eagle is dead at 40

EAGLE – John Rockne Wilferth, 40, of Eagle died Thursday, May 4, at his home. John battled brain seizures the past 20 years, brought on by a head injury sustained in a high school baseball practice. “John’s family would like to thank everyone in Eagle County for warmly welcoming John to your/our community,” the family said in a statement. “John’s short-term memory loss made it difficult for him to remember those whom he had met and enjoyed. Thank you for your kindness and for your patience with John. He was one of a kind and we will remember him fondly.”Wilferth was born Aug. 7, 1965, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He and Charlotte Abendroth were married Jan. 20, 1989, and had a son, Briggs Rockne Wilferth. On April 14, 1997, Wilferth married Melinda Gilmore and became a father to Blake. He was a graduate of Central High School and later earned degrees at Southern Methodist University (BBA, 1986) and at Loyola University (MBA and JD, 1993). In his professional life, Wilferth worked as a financial planner and as a business planner for Capital Management Strategies, for Pension and Benefit Insurance Services and for E-Service Processing Inc. in southern California. Survivors include his parents, Fred Rockne and Judith Roper Wilferth; a son, Briggs Rockne Wilferth; a stepdaughter, Blake Gilmore; maternal grandmother, Leone Proffer and husband, Bob; siblings and spouses, August and Jill Smirl (children Henry, Ivy, George of Eagle), Jim and Chrisy Wilferth (children “Bo” and Anne Meredith), Joe and Anna Wilferth (children Turner and Jude). Also surviving are uncle and aunt, Mick and Susan Roper (lots and lots of cousins), and a dear friend, among so many in Eagle, Virgil Mock. John was preceded in death by his grandparents, Bill and Ivy Wilferth and by LaRoy R. “Doc” Roper. Services were held Monday, May 8 and 9 in Cape Girardeau, Mo. at La Croix United Methodist Church. The family held a private service at the Miller Memorial Cemetery on the family farm in Millersville, Mo. The family would like gifts in Wilferth’s memory to go toward the “John Wilferth Memorial.” All memorial contributions to this fund benefit Mike and Corrie Young to assist in medical expenses for the care of their children. These gifts may be sent to Merrill Lynch (Attn. Greg Deimund), 1371 N. Mount Auburn Road, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Vail, Colorado