Donald Leslie Denison Jr.

DONALD LESLIE "DON" DENISON JR. Graveside inurnment services for longtime Cortez resident Donald Leslie "Don" Denison Jr. will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at Cortez Cemetery. Military honors will be conducted by Ute Mountain American Legion Post #75. A reception will follow at the Empire Electric Calvin Denton Room. Don was born January 19, 1949 in Durango, the son of Donald Leslie Denison Sr. and Helen Elizabeth Denison/Hays. He passed away at his home on October 10, 2013 at the age of 64. On June 15, 1975 Don married Darlene Cammack in Huntington Beach, Calif. Don proudly served in the Navy from December 1967 to September 1971 with tours of duty in Vietnam. Don was a craftsman and involved in residential construction as well as boat and yacht building. In recent years he was employed at Southwest Printing. In Don's free time he loved gardening, hunting, and riding his horse Rio, which he lovingly referred to as his "son". He restored antique autos and was fond of his 1939 Chevy pick-up and his Harley Davidson motorcycle. He was active in the Gent's Car Club and especially enjoyed the toy runs. He never missed a NASCAR race on tv. His cooking skills provided his family with stuffed cabbages, chili, soups and roasts on a regular basis. He had fond memories of his participation in St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, church camp, the high school wrestling team and the MCHS marching band. Don fought and defended the rights and freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution and had run for County Commissioner in 2004. Don is survived by his wife, Darlene Denison of Cortez; his daughter, Silver Dawn Denison and husband, Luke Hubbard of Cortez; his mother, Helen Hays of Cortez; his sister, Terry Strahorn and husband, Richard of Gillette, Wyo.; his niece, Jennifer Johnson of Ishpimg, Mich. his nephew, Kyle Nichols of Portland, Ore.; his aunt, Betsy Jones (Bonan) of Cortez and numerous cousins and very good friends. Don was preceded in death by his father Donald L. Denison, Sr., brother, Gary Denison, and step-father Bill Hays. In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to Hospice of Montezuma, P.O. Box 740, Cortez, Colo. 81321.