Obituary of John Charles Ousley

John C. Ousley, 65, of Colorado Springs passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 10, 2014 after a lengthy illness.John was born on September 22, 1948 to Edna and Billy Ousley, both Army veterans of World War II. He was the eldest of five children, with two sisters, Sue and Mary; and two brothers, Gene and Mark. A military family, the Ousleys traveled all over the world before finally settling in Colorado Springs in 1964 while assigned to Fort Carson. John was proud of his Army brat status and carried on the family tradition of military service after graduating in 1966 from St. Mary's High School by enlisting in the Navy, serving honorably for three years during the time of Vietnam War, then returning to the Colorado Springs in the fall of 1969. He worked for Cablevision briefly before joining the Colorado State Patrol serving as a state trooper for a number of years, primarily in the Idaho Springs area west of Denver. He returned to Colorado Springs some time later, providing security at Weston Electric and Homer's Odyssey night clubs. He later became a Deputy for the El Paso County Sheriff's office, serving on the SWAT team while being the sergeant assigned as a training officer for younger deputies. He remained with the Sheriff's Office for ten years before pursuing other interests that were many and varied. He worked as a professional photographer in the U.S. Virgin Islands and his love for snorkeling and diving lead him to become a Scuba instructor. Along the way he also worked as an EMT, a CPR instructor, and an O.R. Surgical Technician, assisting in difficult and critical surgical procedures. Recently in keeping with his interest in medicine and serving others, he worked helping patients book appointments for medical care in the Tri Care system and, despite his failing health, worked full-time up until the week before his death.John was a true Renaissance man, a world traveler who loved travelling but who always returned to his adopted hometown of Colorado Springs. He read voraciously, enjoying the science fiction of Robert Heinlein, the westerns of Louis L'Amour, Robert B. Parker and Elmore Leonard's crime fiction, as well as the philosophy of Teilhard de Chardin. At one time in his life, John had studied to become a priest, but decided against it when he realized just how much he loved the ladies. Other things that he loved included Colorado College hockey, where he was a season ticket holder; Harley-Davidson motorcycles, where he could be found riding for hundreds of miles in a day's time while "just going out for a quick ride". In more quiet moments, he could be found playing his acoustic guitar and even helped teach guitar, assisting his mentor, Dale Miller, in college music classes. A gentle soul, he had an interest in Eastern philosophy and martial arts, teaching others self-defense at no charge. He worked as a ticket taker and usher at the Cooper theatre while in high school, and had always loved the movies, especially when they starred Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, or Peter Sellers. He enjoyed Stanley Kubrick films and had a weakness for James Bond (but only the ones with Sean Connery!). He loved all kinds of music, his favorites being from the 1960's; he especially loved "The Girl from Ipanema", a song about longing for unattainable Beauty; by the end of his life he had attained it. John C. Ousley was preceded in death by his parents, Edna and Billy; and his brother, Eugene.He is survived by his sisters, Sue (Ken) Doucette, and Mary Holder; his brother, Mark (Janet) Ousley; all of Colorado Springs; his nieces and nephews, and the other countless friends he befriended over his lifetime.His business card read "John C. Ousley-All Around Good Guy-Collector of Moments……."Funeral Home:The Springs Funeral Services3115 East Platte AvenueColorado Springs, , COUS 80909 Events Service Saturday, May 17, 2014 1:00PM The Springs Funeral Services 3115 East Platte Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Phone: 719-207-8855