Harold R Thyfault

Survived by his son Michael, grandchildren Katheryn Clark, Ryan Clark, Julia Thyfault, Isabelle Thyfault and Emily Thyfault.

He is preceded by his wife Maureen, father Edmond, step-father Victor Scheck, mother Irene, brother Bob, son John, and daughter Mary.

Harold was born the youngest of two boys in his Aunt Della’s home in Zurich, Kansas to Irene Thyfault on May 24, 1937. He worked as a school teacher from 1959 until 1993 and a few more years at the briefly open Denver University High School. Harold was the President of the Littleton Education Association during the 1974 strike, willing to and almost going to jail to secure teacher’s rights to negotiate. Later as Secretary of the Colorado Education Association, he arbitrated on behalf of teachers all over the state of Colorado.

As a delegate to the National Teacher’s Association, he took his wife and children all over the country to attend the national conventions. On hotel budgets, he and other teachers took their families and stayed in campgrounds. Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon, Chicago, Houston and all the miles between home in Colorado filled his family with amazing friends and many lifetimes of memories.

With his passion for helping other people, he and his wife Maureen were highly active Democrats. In the 1970s and 1980s, as one of the few democrats in Arapahoe County, his efforts and faith paid off years later when it became a blue county. Harold was a state delegate to the 1996 Democrat National Convention in Chicago. He and Maureen proudly attended President Obama’s first inauguration.

In 2004 the Arapahoe County Democrats Awarded Harold & Maureen the prestigious Adlai E. Stevenson Memorial Award.

As a young child Harold with his brother Bob and mother Irene, moved from Zurich Kansas to Denver, Colorado. At Daniel’s Park, South of Denver, he met his wife, New York born nurse, Maureen Ryan. They married on August 27, 1960. In 1962, his daughter Mary was born, followed by John in 1964 and Michael in 1966. Harold always answered his children’s frustrations with, “If you’re not willing to do anything about it, you can’t complain.” That included voting in every election. One year he coached his son’s soccer team, and was more than often the score keeper for baseball games. He always encouraged his children to be active in activities, Girl Scouts, Indian Guides, Boy Scouts, Flags, band, yearbook, theater and tennis. His legacy is not telling, but showing by doing.

Harold loved dogs, his last one Charlotte, was picked out by his granddaughter Emily and greatly resembles his first dog, Corky. Having grandchildren on both coast, he and Maureen often traveled to see them. One of his fondest memories was playing golf with his son John at the famous Pebble Beach course in California, a 70th Birthday Present from his children and their spouses. A few years earlier, he finally got his son Michael to golf with him and they both lost a few balls in the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii. Bronco season tickets with Michael, watching any one of his children and grandchildren participate in any activity, from concerts to volleyball tournaments, always filled him with his everlasting joy.

No matter where in the world he was, his happiest moments as a young man were with his bother Bob, uncles Med and Hugh, and his mother Irene. In his adult life his happiest moments were with his family, especially his wife, children and grandchildren.

His late life joys that filled his heart were all about family. He glowed watching his son John cheer his granddaughter Isabelle’s volleyball team at the Denver Convention Center. Harold’s heart melted with his granddaughter Katie in the Peace Corps, in Madagascar teaching women to own their bodies. He relished reading and discussing the same books with his granddaughter Emily. Harold’s final peace was knowing that every single one of his grandchildren are the finest people in the world.

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