Donald Dean Kammerzell

Donald Dean Kammerzell, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 19, 2022, at the Collier Hospice Center at the Lutheran Medical Campus. Donald was 90 years old and was just 6 weeks shy of reaching his 91st birthday. He was visited regularly up until the time of his passing by his loving family. Donald was born in Brighton, Colorado to John and Emma (Schwab) Kammerzell. He was the third youngest of seven children including Irene, John, Robert, LeRoy, Kenneth and Carol. Donald was the last surviving child of John and Emma Kammerzell. Donald was preceded in death by his loving Wife Roseanne and his oldest Son, Donald John. Donald is survived by his Son Ron (Judy), his Daughter-in-law Debbie, Grandsons Hayden (Kiara) and Zach (Rachel Frymier) Kammerzell, and Granddaughter Hannah Vela (John). Dad is also survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews, too numerous to mention.

Donald’s early years were spent on the family farm in Brighton, Colorado. His family had a farm across the road from the Great Western Sugar factory. The family farmed sugar beets and raised some livestock there. Around the age of 11, Donald and his family moved to Denver, Colorado near 30th and Marion Street.

Donald attended Cole Junior High and graduated from Manual High School in 1950. He played football, was a pole vaulter on the track team and played drums in the honor band. He was an accomplished musician and received a scholarship to attend the University of Northern Colorado, but he was called to duty as the Korean War began. Not long after his graduation from high school, Donald was drafted into the United States Navy. He served in active duty for 2 years as a Boatswain’s Mate Third Class on the USS Severn, an auxiliary oil tanker. He served his country honorably and traveled the world. Donald remained in the US Naval reserves for several years following his honorable discharge in November 1952. Donald was very proud of his service to his country, as was his loving family.

Donald met his wife, Roseanne Rodie, from Globeville, at a basketball game while they were in high school. She attended North High School, a cross town rival of Manual High School. Donald and Roseanne eloped and were married in Raton, New Mexico on April 5, 1952, while he was on liberty from the military. Donald and Roseanne had a loving marriage that endured for more than 58 years until Roseanne’s passing on October 24, 2010. Donald and Roseanne had two boys; Donald John and Ronald Rodie. Donald and Roseanne’s life together revolved around raising their two boys in Wheat Ridge. They had three grandchildren Zach, Hayden and Hannah. Not surprisingly, they were actively involved in the lives of their grandchildren and relished the fun times and spoiling them as only a grandparent can do.

Following his service in the Navy, Don had a long and fruitful career as an electrician and businessman. Don got his start as an electrician with the City of Denver in their Traffic Engineering and Maintenance Department. It was there that he was first exposed to the traffic engineering discipline. Donald attained his master electrician’s license during that time and maintained it for many years. He was always proud that he had the number 13 master electrician license issued by the State of Colorado. He was licensed as a master electrician in seven states. Following his time at the City of Denver, he worked for Econolite, a traffic engineering manufacturer based out of California. He furthered his education in the traffic engineering industry there serving as a regional sales and service manager. In 1969, along with his lifelong friend, Bruce Brennen, he started Accurate Electric an electrical contracting company that installed traffic control systems. He went on to found Midwest Signal and Mountain States Standards, both traffic engineering and control equipment manufacturing companies. The three companies, together, successfully operated as a traffic engineering dynasty providing equipment, engineering and installation related services to state and local governments across many of the western states for nearly 30 years. Donald was greatly respected and viewed as a pioneer in traffic engineering within the industry.

Donald had many hobbies, but among his favorite were hunting, fishing and enjoying the outdoors with his family. He enjoyed fishing and hunting with his brothers, nephews, and later with his sons and grandsons. He loved elk, deer, pheasant and goose hunting the most. He actively hunted up until the age of 87 and would often travel with his family to South Dakota to go pheasant hunting. Dad especially loved fishing at Lake John, a place where his Dad went with him many years ago. He took several fishing trips to Alaska with his sons and the grandkids. He also went caribou hunting with his sons in Newfoundland. He loved hunting and fishing and had some glorious times afield with his loving family by his side.

Donald returned to his roots in 1985 when he purchased a farm in Longmont, Colorado. The family had horses, raised some livestock, and grew premium horse hay there for many years. Donald, his sons and grandkids had wonderful times raising hay and goose hunting at the farm. He sold the farm back in 2018.

Donald was an accomplished musician playing the drums in the Roy Miller band after returning from his time in the Navy. They would play dutch hops and weddings on the weekends. He actively played until the demands of his day job and raising a family left no time for the band.

Donald was actively involved in freemasonry for over 55 years. He was a member of South Denver Lodge No. 93 in Denver and was also a member of the El Jebel Shrine and the Denver Consistory of Scottish Rite Masons. He encouraged his boys to become masons, and both were members of South Denver Lodge No. 93 as well. Freemasonry played an important role in his life.

Donald was a member of the parish of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge for about 50 years.

Donald was, above all else, a loving and devoted Husband, Father and Grandfather. He taught his sons and grandchildren so many life lessons. He taught them to be kind, to be honest, that nothing good comes easy, that you can do anything you set your mind to, to love and support one another, and that nothing else matters without faith. He loved and adored his wife and looked forward to being reunited with her once again.

Donald loved his country and was so proud to serve in the military to protect our freedom. Family was everything to him and he loved us all so much. He loved his Volga Deutsche heritage and was so proud of the Kammerzell family. He loved his God and knew that he would be reunited with his beloved Wife and dear Son and the rest of his family members and friends. May we all find comfort in knowing that he lived an extraordinary life and passed into God’s glory peacefully. His was a life well lived indeed!

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations to the following charities in Donald’s memory:

Shriner’s Hospitals for Children

https://donate.lovetotherescue.org/give.

Lutheran Hospice

Lutheran Medical Center Foundation

Lutheran Medical Center Foundation | SCL Health | Wheat Ridge, CO

A visitation for Donald will be held Thursday, June 2, 2022 from 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM, with a funeral service at 10am at Olinger Crown Hill Mortuary & Cemetery, 7777 West 29th Ave, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033, with interment and reception to follow.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.CrownHillFuneral.com for the Kammerzell family.