Gary Pope Obituary

July 2, 1946 - January 31, 2025



Longtime Bayfield resident, Gary James Pope, died January 31, 2025 at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was 78.



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. He married Ruth Dye on December 17, 1964, and the couple had three daughters: Kyla, Mindy and Ashli. Gary worked in the natural gas industry for over 40 years.



He was the consummate outdoorsman and enjoyed camping, fishing, boating and hunting. He was handy and enjoyed fixing cars and motorcycles, reloading, building and helping his family and neighbors as needed. He was an avid supporter of Bayfield High School's sports and attended many games and matches over the years.



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., and 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 wife, Ruth (Dye) Pope and grandson Karl Beaman, Jr. of Denver, preceded him in death, as did his parents Martha and William Pope of Fort Collins, brothers Dale Pope of Sargent, Bill (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.