OBITUARIES

Verle Eugene Guthrie, of Highlands Ranch, CO, age 79, died on February 22, 2023. He was a graduate of East High School (Lee Township Against the World!) in Des Moines, IA. He also earned a BA in history from Simpson College in Indianola, IA.

Verle served four years in the Air Force at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, AZ, achieving the rank of Sergeant E4. He followed Air Force service with a 30-year career in telecommunications beginning with Northwestern Bell in Des Moines, IA until 1994, and then with U.S. West and Qwest in Denver, CO. After retiring in 2000 from Qwest, Verle worked for two companies supporting the telephone industry and retired in 2006.

He married Helen (Larkin) Guthrie in Des Moines in 1974. ey have one daughter, Patti Kula (Jim) of Hopkinton, Iowa.

Verle treasured his family, friends, and neighbors and they treasured him. He had a great sense of humor, liked to have fun, and was a kind-hearted and true friend. Little kids called him Uncle Verle or Grandpa Verle, related or not. Verle was an avid reader and especially liked history, science ction, and westerns. He enjoyed taking part in the annual Long’s Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival celebrating Celtic heritage. Verle and Helen spent many Christmas and summer vacations at their condominium in Estes Park. ey also shared a love of travel, especially motorcycle trips with a group of dear friends from the phone company days. ey loved their cruises to Alaska and the Bahamas, and their visits to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and various other destinations “warm, with water.”

In addition to his wife and daughter, Verle is survived by his brother Air Force Master

Sergeant Retired LaVerne Arthur Guthrie, Jr. (Celia) of West Des Moines, IA; nephew Paul Guthrie and his children, West Des Moines, IA; and niece Amy Guthrie Cox (Daron) and their children, Minneapolis, MN. He is survived by his cousins Mike Adams (Colleen), West Des Moines, IA; Chrissy Marquis, Bremerton, WA; Janet Ginther, ornton, CO, and Frank Norris (Lena), She eld, IA.

Verle is also survived by his sister-in-law Elaine Rockwell Logan (Brent), Dubuque, IA; brothers-in-law Michael Larkin (Janice), Hanahan, SC; John Larkin (Sherry) and daughters, Aurora, CO; Tom Larkin and son, Lubbock, TX; and Brian Larkin (Sara) and children, Robins, IA. Verle is also survived by nieces and nephews: Command Sergeant Major Timothy Larkin (Janet), Charleston, SC; Miranda Larkin and Elthia Larkin, Aurora, CO and Sarah Knight, Pittsburgh, PA; John Skeels (Adrienne), Roanoke, TX; Abigail Morales and sons, Monroe, WI; Rachael Schmitt (Matthew) and sons, Rosemount, MN; Katie Aller (Tyler) and son, Martensdale, IA; and John T. Larkin, Robins, IA. He is preceded in death by his parents LaVerne Arthur Guthrie, Sr. and Opal F. (Murphy) Guthrie of Des Moines, IA. He is also preceded in death by father- and motherin-law Clement and Ramona Larkin, Waukon, IA; nephew Michael Larkin and niece Mary Ellen Larkin, Goose Creek, SC.

A celebration of life and reception will be held at 10:00 a.m. ursday, April 13, 2023 at Horan & McConaty, 5303 E. County Line Road, Centennial, CO. Military honors follow at Fort Logan National Cemetery.

Donations may be made to Parkinson Association of the Rockies, 1325 S Colorado Blvd #204B, Denver, CO 80222.

Make-A-Wish Colorado alumni, volunteers celebrate its 40th anniversary

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

2023 has already been a big year for Make-A-Wish.

Wish Week fundraisers have been in full swing at local schools this winter, and basketball legend Michael Jordan donated $10 million — the largest individual donation ever — to the national organization last month. And spring 2023 could be even bigger.

Make-A-Wish Colorado celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and is hosting an anniversary celebration and fundraiser in April in Denver. Since it started, Make-A-Wish Colorado has granted more than 6,000 wishes for children with critical illnesses as a way of giving them hope and something to look forward to during their treatment.

Golden’s Ben Bontrager, 10, went to Hawaii for his wish last spring. He was diagnosed in early 2020 with Burkitt’s lymphoma and was sick for almost a year, with his mom Sarah saying, “We almost lost him a couple times.”

Ben, who’s now in remission, said going to Hawaii was “the rst thing idea that popped in my head,” because he wanted to get out and do something fun.

“I was sick of being home,” he continued.

Now, Ben and his family are becoming Make-A-Wish ambassadors so that they can help other families through the same process.

Dad Je Bontrager said Ben’s wish was a “bright spot” to think about during those long days at the hospital, adding, “ e thought that (MakeA-Wish) has done it over and over for people, it’s really pretty amazing.”

For Jennifer

Joan Mazak has been the proverbial fairy godmother for thousands of Colorado children after she founded the organization in 1983. She started it in honor of her daughter, Jennifer, who died at 7 years old of a liver disease.

Mazak recalled how, about a week before Jennifer’s death, she was granted an uno cial wish to meet local radio mascot KIMN Chicken. He stopped by the family’s house, walking around the entire property hand-in-hand with Jennifer. Many of the neighborhood children stopped by to see KIMN Chicken, but he was focused on making Jennifer feel special.

“It was great for her to be able to have that,” Mazak said.

After Jennifer’s death, Mazak used funds that people had raised for a liver donation to start Make-A-Wish

Colorado. ere were only three other chapters in the country and no national organization yet, she said. e local chapter was all volunteers working out of their homes, helping to create memories for children who needed them. Mazak said the very rst wish was to catch a sh, so they set up a shing trip at Dillon Reservoir.

Longtime volunteer Gary Aboussie recalled wishes to meet the pope and the Broncos. One of his favorite stories was sending a guitar to Bruce Springsteen to sign, him keeping that one, and sending back his own guitar instead with a special message. Mazak said of wishes: “ ey come in all shapes and sizes. ere are so many logistics to putting together a single wish. It’s di erent for every single family.”