John "Yank" Yankowich Memorial Football Scholarship

The John “Yank” Yankowich Memorial Football Scholarship has been established by family, to provide scholarship assistance to Western Colorado University Football students in honor of the memory of John “Yank” Yankowich.

John Yankowich, Jr., 76 of Crested Butte, Colorado passed away after a hard-fought fight with the coronavirus in Grand Junction, CO. The son of John and Pauline Yankowich, he grew up in Byram and was a member of the GHS Class of 1962.

The consummate athlete, John played football, baseball and wrestled at GHS, played league basketball and baseball, was a champion gymnast at Sokol USA, and excellent golfer. John was a graduate of Western Colorado University where he was a stalwart member of the football team becoming the leading scorer for the Rocky Mountain Conference playing fullback and kicker.

After serving in the U.S. Army John made Crested Butte, Colorado his home where he worked as a builder for forty years. He is survived by sister Diane Woolery of Lakewood, CA, brothers George (Cynthia) of Greenwich, Edward (Patricia) of Longwood, FL, and Paul (Danae) of Phoenix, AZ, many nieces and nephews, and his extended family of friends in the Crested Butte community.

ELIBIGILITY
-Need: a balance of Football talent and unmet financial need shall be the criteria by which the qualified applicants are evaluated.
-Athletics: Must be declared a Football player; preference for fullback or halfback
-Year in School (after completion of current spring semester): Incoming freshmen through seniors are eligible
-GPA: 3.0 or higher at Western
-Other: Must be a US citizen