John Carlin

Words from our Founder, Dr. Meredith Roberts Lo

“I first met John when I moved to Denver almost 12 years ago. I was working in a movement disorder clinic and had become accustomed to seeing people that fit the stereotypical picture of Parkinson’s. John was the opposite of that picture. He was a charismatic and energetic person who also happened to have young onset Parkinson’s. I remember wondering what was it about John that allowed him to live so well despite the disease. Was it just his personality? As I got to know John and the Parkinson’s community better I found he truly embodied the principal’s we founded Parkinsons Pointe on. He exercised at a high intensity, he regularly built community around him and gave back to others, and through these acts he built his resilience. When Parkinson’s knocked him down he was getting good at picking himself back up to take another step, try something new, learn a new way.

As I grew to know more of the Denver Parkinson’s Community, I met many lives that John had touched. Often he was the first person they met living with PD and the first hand that reached out to them and offered hope, kindness, and community. For many, John, was their guide in finding their Path on the Parkinson’s road. Therefore, it felt appropriate to call our mentorship program the “Pathfinders Program”.

John is an example to all of us on how we can live our best life, period, PD or no PD. We were honored to recognize him at our first Parkinsons Pointe Donor Appreciation Event in 2021. In honor of John’s commitment to exercise and cycling we named the new spin room after him thanks to a generous donation from the Perry Foundation and the Pedaling for Parkinson’s Foundation. So much of John’s humor was shared on the back of a tandem bike where he often “pretended to pedal” and shared jokes to pass the time.

I will remember John on the back of that tandem bike riding through Iowa, teaching me to ice climb on the side of a cliff in Golden, and at spin din with friends sharing support, stories, and jokes. John, thank you for your light, your love, and your commitment to our community. We will share what you have taught us so that others may grow.

“There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in our hearts.”
Mahatma Gandhi”

Joe Miller, Board Member

“I met John ten years ago in a spinning class, and from that moment, we became fast friends. His warmth and kindness were immediate, and over the years, his friendship would come to mean the world to me.

In 2011, when I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, John was there for me in a way that went beyond friendship. He took me under his wing, showing me the importance of giving back, serving as a mentor to others, especially to those newly diagnosed. His guidance and wisdom inspired what would later become the Pathfinders program, a peer mentorship program that is one of the pillars of Parkinsons Pointe, a community that continues to help so many navigate life with Parkinson’s.

John had a unique gift for bringing people together, forging connections that would last a lifetime. It was through him that I met Meredith, who was establishing Parkinson’s Pointe, and once again, John helped create something greater than himself.

One of John’s greatest passions was staying active. He was an avid cyclist and took on multiple RAGBRAI circuits across Iowa—never backing down from a challenge, always pushing himself to stay strong.”

Martha’s Quest

Read more tributes to John from his family.  A Celebration of Life in Colorado will be scheduled in early November.

Greg Ritscher, Board Member

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