John David Troughton Sr., the 27th attorney general of Wyoming and retired judge to Wyoming’s Third District, has died at 87.
John was born March 15, 1939, in Deadwood, South Dakota, to John Franklin Troughton and Evangeline Angela Vehar Troughton. The Troughtons lived briefly in South Dakota before returning to Wyoming where John then attended school until his father’s passing in 1954. John then moved to the Vehar Ranch near Mountain View, and lived with his maternal grandmother, Katerina (Katie) Vehar. John graduated from Mountain View High School in 1957. He attended the University of Wyoming for his bachelor’s degree, and he continued at UW where he graduated from the College of Law in 1966.
John served as a second lieutenant with the Wyoming and Alaska Army National Guard from 1962 to 1970.
John married his better half, Barbara Jean Storey, on Nov. 27, 1965.
Soon after, John and Barbara welcomed two children, Angela Ellen Troughton Streicher and John David Troughton Jr. to the family.
In 1966, after being admitted to the Wyoming Bar, John’s first employment as an attorney was with the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, working as a law clerk for the Honorable J.J. Hickey. From 1967 to 1968 he was employed by the Alaska Supreme Court, working for Chief Justice Buell Nesbitt.
In August 1968, John hung his shingle in Kemmerer, where he practiced law for the next 11 years. During this time, he served as Lincoln County prosecuting attorney and represented a multitude of different interests including municipalities, political subdivisions, banks, insurance companies, mining companies, telephone utilities, electrical utilities and just plain folks.
In January 1979, Gov. Ed Herschler appointed John as attorney general for the state of Wyoming. In March 1981, he was appointed district judge for the Third Judicial District, and he moved his family from Cheyenne to Evanston. He served Lincoln, Uinta and Sweetwater counties in that capacity until April 30, 2001, when he retired from the bench.
Judge Troughton was frequently heard saying the best part of his job was finalizing adoptions and making families whole. Until his passing, he kept three photo albums on his desk containing pictures of the families he united through adoption.
After leaving the bench, John spent much of his time on the family ranch, which was homesteaded by his grandmother, Katerina (Katie) Vehar in 1914. He often referred to the ranch as “either an expensive hobby, cheap therapy, or an unprofitable business, each or all.”
John loved to take his Fox Trotter horses and pack string of mules on long pack trips in the Wyoming wilderness. These trips often included his son, John Jr., sometimes his wife, Barbara, daughter, Angela, and many good friends he met along the way. John’s final pack trip was September 2025, when he was 86, in the Wind River Mountains.
John was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Barbara Jean Storey Troughton, his parents John F. and Angie Troughton, Angie’s siblings Katherine Vehar, Lewis Vehar, Vincent Vehar, Joseph Vehar, Mary Vehar Konold, Ann Vehar Nida and cousins V. Anthony (Tony) Vehar, and John J. Vehar.
John is survived by his children, Angela (Chris) Troughton Streicher and John (Amber Downey) Troughton Jr.; foster son, Kevin Bettinson; his sister, Agnes Hand; grandchildren, Norman (Briana) Krell, Kaitlin Krell, Ward Streicher and Kegun (Brittni Wininger) Troughton; great-grandchildren Seth Krell, Colter Krell, Rylee Krell and Weston Troughton; nieces, Michelle Hand and Debbie (Joel) LaChance; nephew, Rob Hand; cousins, Kathy Vehar and Sue Vehar; and numerous grandnieces and nephews.
John took a fall at the ranch that hastened the end of his life. He passed peacefully at McKay-Dee Hospital on Sept. 16, 2026, with family in attendance. John has requested no funeral or services, but a Dutch oven feast in his honor will be planned in the spring.
The Troughton family would like to especially thank Dr. Steve Flynn, John’s primary nurse Macayla, and the entire emergency department team at Evanston Regional Hospital, the Air Methods air ambulance crew, the ICU staff at McKay-Dee Hospital and Patricia Geodken, John’s longtime court reporter and family friend who supported all of us throughout this difficult time.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations benefit two organizations John has supported since their inception:
Youth Alternative Home Association (YAHA), 395 City View Dr., Evanston, WY 82930; or
Uinta County Sexual Assault and Family Violence Task Force, 350 City View Dr., #203, Evanston, WY 82930.
