Obituary

A memorial gathering celebrating the life of John Lewis Bretanus will be held from 6-8 PM Friday, July 16 at the James E. McNellie’s Pub, 409 E. 1st Street downtown Tulsa. A few words of comfort and a time of sharing will take place at 7 PM. John passed away Friday afternoon, July 9, 2021 at his Tulsa residence surrounded by many people who loved him. He was 57 years old.

Born August 3, 1963 in Chicago, John was the son of Raymond and Veronica (Westingheiser) Bretanus. He grew up mostly in Tulsa graduating with the Class of 1981 from Edison High School. John was a football player and a wrestler. To say John was “larger than life” might be an understatement. His “Leo” parties that he hosted at his Tulsa home will not soon be forgotten by a host of friends who loved him.

John loved everything and anything outdoors. He enjoyed camping all over Colorado, bird hunting in Kansas, and fishing for King Salmon in Alaska. John loved literally all genres of music and you could certainly find him partying hard when his favorite concerts came to town. He always looked forward to the big events at the Red Rock Parks and Amphitheatre while living in Colorado.

On his 40th birthday, John received his Harley Davidson motorcycle as a birthday present which he enjoyed immensely through the years. John loved entertaining his friends, cooking all types of food, and most especially, just being the life of the party!

John was very entrepreneurial and started several companies The Idea Factory and
ProMo Ad which sold promotional advertising nationwide. He had a great deal of success doing so.
John was instrumental in naming Cherry Street and helping organize the Reggae Festival in Tulsa for many years.

The family would like to thank those who cared for John in his last days

Surviving family members include his daughter, Kennedy Bretanus; Brother Chuck Bretanus , Sister Kathy Beck and Brother Rob Bretanus; John was preceded in death by his parents and Brother Tony Bretanus.

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