Ralph Curtis Pearce was born Oct. 8, 1936 to Curtis Waltman and Minnie Elizabeth Thielke Pearce in Leadville.
Ralph attended and graduated from Leadville High School in 1954. He attended the University of Colorado at Boulder for one year before enlisting in the United States Air Force. He joined to see the world and spent four years in Colorado Springs, 128 miles from home.
On Sept. 14, 1957, Ralph married Carolyn Smith Pearce. They had their first daughter, Karen Elaine Pearce, on Aug. 1, 1958. They had their second daughter, Sandra Kay Pearce (Hoelsken) on Feb. 28, 1962. Ralph and his family moved to Denver in March of 1962 and Ralph worked for Household Finance. He went back to school at night at the University of Colorado at Denver to study accounting, receiving his bachelor’s in 1973.
Ralph left Household Finance and worked at St. Anthony Hospital, eventually becoming their controller. While working at St. Anthony, he assisted in setting up Flight for Life. After working for St. Anthony for 18 years, he worked at Wardenburg Student Health Center at CU Boulder as controller until he retired at age 59.
Ralph was a loyal and devoted family man, his family said. He enjoyed the outdoors, hunting and especially fly fishing on the Fryingpan River. He was active in the Catholic church.
Ralph and Carolyn enjoyed traveling and saw all 50 states, repeating several of them, and also going to Mexico and Canada.
Ralph and Carolyn celebrated 65 years of marriage before his death. His family said that Ralph loved them above all else.
Ralph had an older brother, Leonard Pearce, who preceded him in death. He is survived by his younger brother Bert Lee Pearce.
Ralph has two grandchildren that he loved to spend time with, attending many volleyball and other games: Sheldon Pearce Hoelsken and Jennifer Ann Montgomery.
Ralph has great-grandsons as well: Benjamin Pearce Hoelsken, Andrew Curtis Hoelsken and Wyatt Austin Jones.
A viewing and saying of the rosary took place Thursday, Oct. 20 at Horan and McConaty Funeral Home in Arvada.
Services and interment were held the following day.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Wounded Warrior Project in Ralph’s name.
Credit: Source link
