John J. Perales

September 29, 1957 - December 9, 2017

John J. Perales, 60, of Keene Valley, N.Y., passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 9, 2017. John was born on Sept. 29, 1957, in Lancaster, Calif., to Mary Louise and John Perales. John moved to Denver, Colo., very early in his life. John graduated from Central Catholic High School in Denver, Colo., in 1975. Following high school, John began his food service career. John was a long time employee of the Marriott Corporation at different locations, including Denver, Germany, and most recently Lake Placid. John's leadership and mentoring skills were evident while holding various chef positions throughout his career. John had an amazing work ethic, often times working 6 to 7 days a week up to 14 hours a day. John was happiest when he was utilizing his cooking skills to make others happy, either at work or at home. John's Native American heritage was extremely important to him, as evidenced by his tattoos and hair style. John was an avid Oakland Raiders and Oakland Athletics fan, and was a very talented gardener. John's smile, laughter, and generosity will never be forgotten. John is survived by his loving, long time girlfriend, Kelly Hall of Keene Valley; his beloved children, John J. Perales Jr., and his partner Joey, of Denver, Colo., David Perales, and Emily Perales of Oakland, Calif. John is also survived by his brothers, Joe, Paul and Michael and a sister, Christina Macias and their families. He was predeceased by his parents, and a brother, Estevan Macias. A celebration of John's life will be held at a later date. Service details will be announced. To send John's family a written expression of sympathy or share a memory, please go to his on-line guestbook at www.healdfuneralhomeinc.com