Longtime Bayfield resident, Gary James Pope, died Jan. 31, 2025, at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was 78 years old.
Gary was born July 2, 1946, in the San Luis Valley farming community of Sargent, Colo. He grew up working on his family’s potato farm and graduated from Sargent High School in 1964. The summer after his high school graduation, he met Ruth Dye on a blind date to the Ski Hi Stampede dance in Monte Vista, Colo. They married Dec. 17, 1964, and went on to have three daughters: Kyla, Mindy and Ashli.
Gary began working for Western Slope Gas, an affiliate of Public Service Company of Colorado, in the late 1960’s. After working in Monte Vista, Salida, Silverthorne and Del Norte, his job transferred him to Durango in 1993 and he and Ruth settled in Bayfield, where they lived for 30 years. He retired from West Gas/Xcel Energy in October of 2007.
Gary was the consummate outdoorsman. He taught his daughters and grandkids how to fish, shoot, and ride motorcycles; and some of his daughters' best childhood memories are camping trips and four-wheeling with their dad in the Colorado mountains. He also enjoyed hunting with his grandsons, Mountain Man Rendezvous, boating and camping with the family, and mountain drives with Ruth. He was very handy and enjoyed fixing motorcycles and vehicles, reloading, building things and doing pretty much anything his family and neighbors needed. He was an avid supporter of Bayfield High School’s sports and attended many games and matches over the years. For decades, Gary enjoyed his daily morning routine of coffee and breakfast with friends and was particularly fond of Brenda’s Restaurant in Bayfield.
Gary is survived by his daughters Kyla (Richard) Dubberstein of Phoenix, Ariz., Mindy Blazer of Denver and Ashli Pope of Ignacio; grandchildren Logan Blazer of Breckenridge and Diana Watson of Littleton, Hayden (Andrew) Peterson of Colorado Springs, Lydia (Ben) Culhane of Phoenix, Ore., Josiah Woody and Grace Smith of Ignacio and great-granddaughter Maya Peterson of Colorado Springs. His sister Helen West of Fort Collins and several nieces and nephews also survive him. His beloved wife, Ruth (Dye) Pope of Bayfield, and grandson Karl Beaman, Jr. of Denver, preceded him in death, as did his parents Martha and William Pope of Sargent and Fort Collins, brothers Dale Pope of Sargent, William (Fay) Pope of Fort Collins, Kenneth (Ann) Pope of Longmont and sister Sharon Rink of Fort Collins.
A memorial service for Gary will be held sometime in late spring or early summer 2025.
