John M. Kolbo, 66 of Sioux City, passed away peacefully Friday, November 13 , 2020 at his residence surrounded by his loving family.

Father John was a man of faith who loved God above all, and fixed his eyes on heaven.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 am Saturday, November 21 , 2020 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation 4:00-8 pm Friday with the family present, and a Prayer Service at 7 pm at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Waterbury Funeral Service of Sioux City. Covid 19 restrictions will be observed.

John was born on November 3 , 1954 in Lincoln, Nebraska, the son of Kenneth and Blondeen (Quiring) Kolbo. He graduated in 1973 from Odebolt-Arthur High School in Odebolt, Iowa.

John attended Morningside College and quickly became involved in Christian campus ministries, eventually meeting his bride, Suzanne Andresen, while she performed folk music at a coffee house event. On January 1 , 1977 the two were united in marriage at the Evangelical Free Church in Arthur, Iowa. A year later, John graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in both Art and Music.

Upon graduation, John went to work for local advertising and commercial design firms, honing his craft in various roles including art director and commercial artist. As owner of Phillips Marketing Associates, a graphic design and advertising specialties firm, he provided quality logo design work and promotional products to many businesses and organizations throughout Siouxland.

John was invited to join the Morningside College faculty in 1999 and enjoyed a 20-year second career there as educator. He loved inspiring and mentoring young adults to be portfolio-equipped, career-ready graphic design professionals. He placed a strong emphasis on internships, networking (through the annual event Meet the Pros), and was proud to hear from former students that had landed their dream job. He truly thrived in the bustling college setting, enjoyed friendships with faculty and students in all departments, and looked forward to branding and designing the Morningside Jazz Fest tee-shirt every year. In 2019, John received the Lucille and Charles Wert Award for Faculty Excellence. In 2020, he received the CODA Legacy Award for Culmination of Distinguished Achievement.

For all of his professional accomplishments, work was not everything for John. First and foremost he was a Christian man, with his faith, family, and friendships placed firmly at the center of everything he did. In 1981, he was ordained to the priesthood in the Evangelical Orthodox Church, and served as volunteer pastor of Christ Resurrection Church on the west side until his passing. He had a passion for preaching, church history, theology, youth ministry, and always strived to be a light to others in his personal and professional endeavors. John would have loved nothing more than for his life to be viewed as a testimony of God’s love for all and for others to come to Christ as a result.

John was a founding board member of the Alpha Center, now Her Health Women’s Center, and was dedicated and involved with the local Pro-Life Movement. He donated his talents and time to many local non-profits and causes including Siouxland Youth For Christ, Habitat for Humanity, and Siouxland Ministerial Fellowship.

John so enjoyed spending time with his kids and grandkids, making puns, telling jokes, doing funny accents, and wearing his sunglasses upside down. When he wasn’t spending time with his family or at the college, he could be found getting drive thru coffee and heading to the hardware store to dream of his next big project. He was a true renaissance-handyman who could fix anything and enjoyed remodeling homes. He loved music and motorcycles, and enjoyed taking long trips and rides around town with his family to enjoy both. For 15 years, John and Suzanne hosted the "Kolbo Annual Hog Roast" in their neighborhood, and the kids plan to continue the summer block party tradition as a memorial gathering of friends and family for years to come.

John is survived by his wife of 44 years, Suzanne, his sons Aaron (Beth) Kolbo, Adrian Kolbo and Adam (Angie) Kolbo, all of Sioux City, his daughter, Annika Kolbo of Benton, Illinois, grandchildren, Madison, Grace and Dylan, his mother, Blondeen Kolbo of Eagle Grove, Iowa, brother Tom (Diane) Kolbo of Nevada, Iowa and Ruth (Roger) White of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

He was preceded in death by his father and one granddaughter, Ava Elizabeth Kolbo.