Scott Alan Corliss

No number of words can truly do justice to as wonderful a man and as beautiful a soul as Scott Alan Corliss. Scott meant the world to an incredible number of people, and he filled their lives with positive light. Nearly every person that knew him would say was that he had truly changed their life, even those who he only knew for a short while. His joy and zest for life were contagious, and he brought out a new way of living in everyone around him.

Scott was born in Hebron, Nebraska in 1955 to Bob and Vi Corliss. Throughout his life, Scott honored his parents and deeply cherished their love and wisdom. He loved making them a part of his life every day and seldom went more than a day without speaking to them. Scott moved to Greeley at a young age, growing up and attending school here, eventually graduating from Greeley West High School in 1973.

Scott always set goals for himself, and with his thirst for knowledge and love for completing a challenge he always achieved them. Scott knew that he wanted to be a doctor, and he graduated from CU Medical School in 1985. He had a rich career caring for others while working as a family medicine doctor. He brought so many new lives into the world that he had long since lost count. Scott was loved by his patients, not just as a doctor, but as a positive influence in their lives.

Scott later transitioned into preventative healthcare as a life coach for Take Shape for Life. He loved helping others, and as a life coach he had many people say that he brought hope into their lives at times when they had none. At the same time, he took on a new educational path, and when he was 59 he began towards his master’s degree in aerospace biomedical engineering. He loved sharing the results of his latest exams with his family. Like anything Scott dedicated himself to, the results of his exams were nearly always over one hundred percent.

Scott’s list of hobbies was never short, and no person ever gave themselves to something as fully as Scott did. He was an avid reader, hiker, bicyclist, skier, outdoorsman, runner, scuba diver, rocketeer, and a man with a true passion for learning and for sharing his knowledge with others. Scott was known as the “rocket-man” to the elementary schoolers who looked forward to his coming to their classrooms and sharing his love of space. He had recently achieved his Level 3 Certification from the National Association of Rocketry, designing and hand constructing the pride and joy of his rocket collection, a massive, ten foot tall rocket he lovingly named “The Spirit of Colorado.” He had climbed an incredible number of Colorado’s14’ers, as well as Mount Rainier, and Kilimanjaro, and he had summited Longs Peak numerous times before. He loved being outdoors and sharing the experience with anyone who felt like coming along with him.

Scott also loved sharing his experiences with his family, whom he supported in whatever they felt like trying, and tried it right alongside them. He played hockey with his sons Ben and Luke, rode horses with his daughter Kelsey, skied with his siblings Jim and Jan, searched for rocks with grand-daughter, Sydney, and enjoyed watching grand-daughter Nevaeh perform. One of Scott’s proudest accomplishments was having the magic touch to cradle his newest grandson to sleep when no one else could. That grandson, James Alan Corliss, proudly shares his middle name with both his dad and with Grandpa Scott. Scott never missed a game, competition, or trip. His siblings thought of Scott as their leader, since he always had a wonderfully detailed plan for every outing, and he was always most concerned with looking out for everyone around him.

Scott had the greatest and silliest sense of humor, and he always had a hug, a joke, and a smile for anyone that needed it. He loved making the most obvious puns, and he would get so excited at his own goofy jokes that no one could help laughing, less even at the joke itself than at Scott’s excitement at having made it. There are few people that could brighten a room or a mood the way Scott could. Scott always knew what it truly meant to be a friend, and his sons, his brother, his partner Bill, his oldest friends Kip and Karen, and countless others counted him as the very best of friends.

Peggy Corliss was the love of Scott’s life, and loved her husband more than any words could ever explain. The two shared 33 beautiful years of marriage together and were an amazing example of love, caring, and dedication to their children. They met nearly 40 years ago when the two were working to enter nursing and medical school and Scott decided that he would do anything he could to pursue the woman he loved more deeply than anyone. Once again, Scott succeeded. Peggy and Scott loved each other from the very beginning, and the two were married in 1983. Scott always went out of his way to leave signs of his love for Peggy, often writing wonderful sentiments and leaving them for her, whether in flowers, in her bag for work, or anywhere conspicuous that would catch her eye and make her smile. Scott and Peggy will always love each other, and continue to inspire the love of those around them.

Scott passed on the morning of October 1st on Long’s Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park at 61. Despite the incredible loss of someone who meant so much to so many, Scott’s family takes great solace in knowing that Scott passed doing what he loved most in one of his very favorite places. Scott was always full of vibrancy, and he truly lived life to its fullest, even unto his last moments.

No list of the family members Scott is survived by could ever be long enough to include all those that he cared for. He is survived by Bob and Vi, his father and mother, brother Jim and his wife Kim, and their sons Matt and Andy, his sister Jan, her husband George, and their daughters Jordan and Tori, and his own family, wife Peggy, son Ben with granddaughters Sydney and Nevaeh, son Luke and his wife Brittany with their son Jac, and his youngest daughter Kelsey. Their lives are all richer for having the pleasure of knowing him.

Scott left this world a better and more beautiful place with all that he did in it. A truly unselfish man, there could be no counting the number of lives that he touched. He took an immense amount of joy in bringing joy to others. A celebration of Scott’s life will be held this Saturday, October 8th, at 10:00 am. Services will be held at the First Assembly of God Church, 3000 W 16th St, Greeley, CO 80634. To honor Scott, his family invites any and all to attend. To celebrate the brightness that Scott brought to everything that he did, the family encourages you to wear yellow, his favorite color.

Donations may be made, care of Stoddard Funeral Home, 3205 West 28th Street, Greeley, Colorado 80634, to the Planetarium at Denver Museum of Nature and Science to honor Scott’s love of learning and outer space.

Please sign the online guestbook at www.stoddardsunset.com.