“The breath,
Our first gift in this world;
And our last possession.”
--First Beatitude, translation by Neil Douglas-Klotz
Thomas Tapia, much-loved and highly-regarded:
--dear friend and dance partner of Donna Shaw;
--son of Lola and John Tapia;
--father of Tony (Rich), Michael (Sid) and Tom (deceased) Tapia; father-in-law of Marsha (Bob) Nicoll;
--brother of Patrick (Cathy);
--grandfather of Angela (Kenan) Peterson and Michelle (Jake) Keleman;
--great grandfather of Luca, Farrah, Fiona Keleman and Taryn Peterson;
--uncle of Luisa (Al) Staerkel; Elizabeth (Chris) Truglio; Glen, Mark, Stephen, David, Christopher (deceased), Andrew, Peter, Kathy and Kenny Tapia;
--great uncle of Bryan and Marcus (deceased) Staerkel;
-- cousin of Gary (Paula) Solano, Marty (deceased) Solano, Anita Solano, Marquita (George) Griego, Jim (Paula) Solano, Felice Solano (deceased); Joni (Gary) Archuleta; Les, Isidro and Patricia Tapia, and numerous great, great grand nieces and nephews.
Born in Cokedale, Colorado, and raised in Trinidad, Tom was educated at Trinidad public grade school, Trinidad Catholic High School, Trinidad State Junior College and Regis College. He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and then moved to Denver. His career culminated in his role as the retired-pay supervisor at the Air Force Finance and Accounting Center in Denver, where he served 33 years.
In 1983, he retired in Parachute, where he loved to fish, set-up his vintage trains and lunch at the Senior Center five days a week. In the 1990s, he relocated to Grand Junction to care for his mother Lola until her death in 1999. Prior to this time, his brother Patrick and his family (Cathy and Glen) cared for Lola along the West coast.
After the turn of the 21st century, Tom continued to thrive in retirement. As a life-long Democrat, he kept abreast of current events, never missed voting in an election, and reached out to those in need. He and Donna Shaw of Fruta tore up the dance floor 4-5 nights a week at various hot spots including the Moose and the Elks clubs, where they won Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s Eve costume contests year-in and year-out until the lights went out in March 2020 with the Covid pandemic. In March of 2022, Tom packed up his home single-handedly, and Tony and Rich helped him relocate to Denver where he lived with Tony. He kept up on the daily weather, local and national news, played “Words with Friends,” exercised online with the VA fitness three times a week, dined out frequently with family members--particularly Luisa Staerkel and Anita Solano who took him to breakfast or lunch nearly every week.
At the age of 98 and eleven months, Tom was sparky and lucid until his final breath, surpassing the mean age for men in our country by 22 years, as well as the lifespan of the esteemed Queen Elizabeth of England. He will be missed greatly by all whom he loved.
In lieu of flowers, you may wish to consider a donation to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital which helped Tom’s great granddaughter, Taryn Peterson, win her fight against childhood cancer. https://www.facebook.com/donate/815446643581937/815446653581936/?mibextid=cr9u03
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.CrownHillFuneral.com for the Tapia family.
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