Vernon L. Mader…June 25, 1933 – February 24, 2017

Canon City, Colorado resident and former Lamar resident Vernon Lee Mader, 83 died peacefully on February 24, 2017 at St. Thomas Moore Hospital in Canon City, Colorado.

Internment with military honors was at Sunnyslope Cemetery in Bristol, Colorado on March 4, 2017 with Father Mariusz Wirkowski officiating and Valley Memorial Funeral Chapel in charge of arrangements. A memorial service is Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 10:00 AM at St. Frances of Rome Parish, 130 South 6th Street, Holly, Colorado 80147. A celebration of life gathering is in the church hall following the service.

Vernon was the oldest of five children born to Adam Mader and Destine Trueblood on June 25, 1933 in Granada, Colorado, educated in the Bristol and Granada school system and graduating from Hartman High School, all in Colorado. An outstanding athlete, he excelled in football, basketball and track. After high school, he married Lucille Passini at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Holly, Colorado.

His love of agriculture started very young and continued throughout his life; teaching his sons the ins and outs of dry land farming and raising livestock. Vernon wore many hats throughout his career with multiple businesses that include auctioneer, restaurant and tavern entrepreneur, chemical fertilizer distributor, antique collector and real estate investment.

Vernon, an avid sports fan of college and professional football, basketball, baseball, hockey, golf and any other competition he could find to watch. He delighted in the outdoors and nature and shared these with his loved ones during many family camping trips in the Rocky Mountains training his five young children to fish, hike, explore and bathe in frigid mountain streams. He took pride in his garden every year and enjoyed sharing the bounty with friends, family and neighbors. Very passionate about history, politics and his ancestry; Vern took pleasure in discussing these at length to anyone who would engage. Later in life when grandkids and great grandkids came along he lived for family gatherings and celebrations.

Preceding him in death are his parents and grandparents, Chauncey and Ida Trueblood of Lamar Colorado, Andrew and Anna Mader of Garden City Kansas and daughter-in-law Darlene (Stagner) Mader.

Surviving Vernon is his wife, Sandy of Canon City, Co, his five children, Rick (Stacy) Mader of Westminster, Colorado, Gail Perkins of Windsor, Colorado, Karen (Rick) Barker of Texarkana, Arkansas, Mike Mader of Denver Colorado, Stan (Dana) Mader of Calhan, Colorado. Also surviving are seven grandchildren including Kristopher (Rita) Mader of Westminster, Colorado, Angela Mader, Denver, Colorado, Lindsey (Eric) Sullivan of Loveland, Colorado, Dr. Tyler (Heather) Perkins of Firestone, Colorado. Kristin Barker, Texarkana, Arkansas, Dr. Brett (Margaret) Barker of Nashville, Tennessee, Jennifer Mader of Fountain, Colorado, Jamie (Jim) Rose, Camp Humphrey, South Korea, Jenna (Jonathan) Severance, Boerne, Texas as well as eleven great-grandchildren.

Also surviving is his brother, Ron (Jan) Mader of Sandusky, Ohio and three sisters, Carol Jones of Holly, CO, Sherry (Bob) Clark of Garden City, Kansas and Roxanne (Larry) Souza of Sandwich, Illinois. His aunt Barbara (Brooks) Hall of Lamar and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends also survive.

The family of Vernon wish to extend sincere thanks to Dr. Mark Sindler of Canon City, CO and Dr. Robert Bliss of Florence, Colorado, St. Thomas Moore Hospital nurses and staff, Debra Weir, ACBSW and Sangre

de Cristo Hospice & Palliative Care and Derek and Angela Riner of Valley Memorial Funeral Chapel of Holly, Colorado.

For memorial contributions in Vernon’s honor, please visit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, online at https://www.stjude.org/contact-us.html or call 800-822-6344.

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