John Trafford Blake

It is with deep sadness and love that the passing of John Trafford Blake on August 20, 2025, is being shared. John was born January 10, 1949, to John G. H. Blake and Gwendolyn M. Trafford Blake in Rockford, Illinois.

            John attended K-12 schools in Rockford, graduating in 1967 from Rockford West High School. As a young boy, John loved sports beginning with Little League baseball as a first baseman. He was an avid Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bears fan. In high school John excelled in music, where he played drums and was the leader of the percussion section of the Warriors Band. He was most proud that this band was chosen as the United States representative to perform at the Expo 67 in Montreal, Canada, where he announced the band’s music selections in French. John was also an active handbell ringer at Rockford’s 2nd Congregational Church and played in the neighborhood band, “The Shackles.”

            John graduated from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, in 1971 with a BS degree in Marketing. He moved west to Colorado where he worked a short time in Denver before being employed at the Greeley Tribune in Greeley. Initially John worked in the advertising department then became the second photographer in the newsroom. He was employed at the newspaper until mid-1985. John had many fond memories of his photographic experiences at the Tribune and of his co-workers. Most memorable for John was photographing and transmitting the first photo of John Elway from his rookie Bronco training camp. This photograph was picked up by the Associated Press and the United Press International wire services and sent across the nation.

            After leaving the Greeley Tribune, John opened John Blake Photography and operated this business until his death. In the early 1990s, John was also the photographer for the News and Publication Department at the University of Northern Colorado.

            John’s love for music continued in Greeley where he was the drummer for Clay Taylor’s Orchestra. His interest in sports continued, too, as he was a fan of the Broncos, Avalanche, and the Colorado Rockies sports teams. As part of a season tickets group, John supported the beginning of the Rockies team.

            John married Janelle “Jan” Grinols June 4, 1977, at the Chapel on the Rock in Allenspark, Colorado. They shared their lives building a home together and pursuing interests in music, sports, photography, astronomy and travel. John and Jan were part of an astronomy club where they met lifelong friends and enjoyed the night sky. They traveled overseas through the M. I. Hummel Club visiting Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Greece, Gibraltar, Czech Republic, England, Scotland, Isle of Skye, Croatia and Slovenia. While traveling with Hummel they enjoyed four riverboat cruises on the Danube, Elbe, Rhine, and Rhone rivers. Overseas travel with Meandering with Mary included Australia, New Zealand and the Fiji Islands, Canada, Niagara Falls, and an Alaskan Cruise as well as many mystery and day trips in Colorado with the train trip in southern Colorado being a favorite. John and Jan loved visiting many United States destinations such as many of the national parks, Alaska and Hawaii. They explored many nearby treasures such as Dearfield, Colorado, and Centennial Village in Greeley.

            Essentially a self-taught photographer, John honed his skills throughout his career. He was a member of the American Society of Media Photographers and Nikon Professional Services. He participated in two summer workshops held at the Maine Photographic Workshop and other professionally sponsored workshops in Colorado.

            John had a keen eye for details that led to award winning photos. He saw the world through people, animals, architecture, and astronomy. His journalistic photography led him to events such as concerts, fairs and Chautauqua; and he artistically shared those images with the world. John was honored to have held solo photo shows at the Tointon Gallery, The Bean Plant Studio, and The Dragon Cache and being a guest artist at numerous Madison & Main gallery shows and the Golden Gallery Art Show. His work was also selected for the national photo show at the Lincoln Gallery in Loveland, Colorado, where he placed second in architectural photography. He also contributed photos to two publications: The Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra: A Century of Musical Magic 1911-2011 and Weld County: 4,000 Square Miles of Grandeur, Greatness & Yesterdays by John Fielder and Peggy Ford Waldo.

            John is survived by his wife Jan, her brother Jay Grinols, his numerous cousins in Rockford, Illinois, and England, his Showcase Art Center family and the Greeley art community. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jan’s parents Clifford and Renata Grinols, and her brother Leland Grinols.

            A celebration of John’s life will be held September 23, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Adamson Life Celebration Home, 2000 47th Avenue, Greeley, Colorado. Internment was at Linn Grove Cemetery, Greeley Colorado. In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s memory may be made to the Greeley Arts Legacy, 2101 26th Avenue, Greeley, CO 80634 or a venue of your choice.