Lonnie Joe Staker

Lonnie Joe Staker was born on December 18, 1943, in Oklahoma to parents Joe Robert Staker, and Hazel Ann Staker. His first marriage was to Irene K. Berry in Denver, Colorado, on January 29, 1966, when he was 22 years old. His second marriage was to Jean Claudette Geisler in Reno, Nevada, on July 4, 1984, when he was 40 years old. Lonnie married Pamela Story in Littleton, Colorado, on November 29, 2003, when he was 59 years old.

Lonnie missed most of his senior year at Mapleton High School with Rheumatic Fever. Parents and friends carried his homework and reading assignments back and forth to the hospital, and later to his home, so that he could keep up with his schoolwork. He graduated with his class in June 1961. He played center for the high school football team and wrestled before his illness. He was also a member of the Royal Knights, Honor Society and the M Club.

After graduating high school, at age 17, he enlisted in the Navy and went through training as a Navy Field Corpsman at Camp Pendleton, in Southern California. He was then assigned to the 1st Marine Division and was trained as a field medic. He served in the Bay of Pigs Operations in Cuba in the Spring and Summer of 1962. He completed his active-duty assignment on December 17, 1964, and afterwards transferred to the Reserves.

Using the G.I .bill, he studied nights at the University of Colorado, Denver, and graduated in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, all while working a full-time job at the Coors Brewing Company.

He later returned to school and received an MBA degree in Accounting and Finance from Regis University in Denver, Colorado in 1992.

He was a member of the Institute of Managerial Accountants (IMA).

Lonnie worked for the Adolph Coors Brewing Company from 1968 to 1998, and then went to work as a Financial Analyst for Vistar/International Multi-Foods from 1998 to 2005. He retired in 2005 but remained active as a Volunteer Docent at the Denver Zoo where he was a liaison for the Offsite Outreach Programs. He gave fun presentations about animals and reptiles to families at the Zoo, and at schools, nursing homes, and other places, usually taking reptiles with him for show and tell. He received an award from the Denver Zoo for his twenty years of service.

Lonnie Joe Staker grew up in Cherokee, Oklahoma, and his family moved to Denver in 1954. Other than his military time in Southern California and Cuba, he has since lived in the Denver area including Littleton, Aurora, Wheat Ridge and Westminster.

Lonnie Joe Staker enjoyed traveling abroad with his wife, Pam. Lonnie and Pam usually took one cruise a year, and travelled across the U.S., including National Parks, and Branson, MO. In 2011 they took a Cruise to Northern Europe with Dean and Gene Mowrey and their significant others, and other trips with the same friends.

He enjoyed playing soccer in his younger days and was an assistant soccer coach for his son, Marc’s team and his grandson, Joe’s team as well. He was known as a great Monopoly player and a good poker player to his friends. He followed the Denver Broncos and CU Buffs football teams. In his later years, he liked watching old Westerns on TV and playing online poker. He loved foods of many varieties including American, Asian, and middle eastern. He also loved a good mug of coffee, a good glass of beer, and varying types of whiskeys and tequila.

Lonnie Joe Staker’s wife, Pamela Story-Staker is from Lincoln Nebraska, and she resided in Vail, Colorado and Denver, Colorado before she met Lonnie in 1997. She received a BFA degree from the University of Nebraska in 1965 and an MBS degree from Regis University in 1995. Pam was an Interior Designer, an arts festival Executive Director in Vail and Beaver Creek, and a Public Arts Coordinator and non-profit manager in the Denver area. After Pam’s retirement, she has been in Avon Sales Leadership for almost 20 years.

Lonnie and Pam first “met” each other on the AOL.COM dating site. But their actual first date was on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 1997 at the Denver Zoo. There was an instant connection. And from that day forward…they were rarely apart.

Pamela has two sons, Mark Story (wife Karen Story), Matt Story (wife Jen Lyons), and a daughter, Michelle Watwood. She also has three granddaughters, Ally Story, Kendal Watwood, and Caitlin Story. She also has two grandsons, Justin Story (wife Katie), Brendan Story, and a great-grandson, Logan Story.

Lonnie had three sons with his first wife, Irene. Michael James Staker was his oldest son born in 1967. Mike passed at the age of 50, in 2017. Kenneth Joseph Staker was born in 1968 and he resides in Littleton, Colorado. Marc Lonnie Staker, his youngest son, was born in 1970, and he resides in Parker, Colorado with his wife, Laura, and two sons (and Lonnie’s grandsons), Joseph William Staker, and Sean Marc Staker. Lonnie’s parents were Hazel Ann Staker (Duncan), and Joe Robert Staker. Hazel passed away in 2002, and Joe in 1974. Joe Robert Staker had two sons from a prior marriage. Lonnie’s half-brothers were Verle R. Staker and Thayne V. Staker. Verle R. or “Buddy” died in France in 1944 serving in the military in World War II. Thayne also served in the military, and he passed away in 1988 at the age of 70.

Lonnie was always a friendly, caring person. He was kind and gentle to friends and strangers. He loved his kids and family whole-heartedly. He was unashamed of what he did and who he was, and he always did things his own way.

Of note, Lonnie has always maintained a close relationship with high school friends; Bob Child, Dave Hofer, John Croteau, and Dean and Gene Mowrey, usually seeing each other several times a year, and traveling together.