Russell Shay Bickel

The "Great Jayhawk" Russell Shay Bickel, 66, exchanged his home in Longmont for a permanent home at the beach after a sudden heart attack on Sunday, August 24, 2014 . He started his adventure of life in Port Smith, Virginia, the son of Catherine (Goodman) and Frederick Bickel. After a wild ride at KU, Shay settled down and started a family with Kathy, which produced 2 girls, Tacey and Courtney. They made their home in Longmont for 30 years, where the girls attended Longmont High. His greatest joys in life were his daughters, grandkids, the beach, and a trip to Jerry D's after golf with the guys. The saddest moments were the loss of his parents and brother/partner in crime, Jeff. Shay treasured the time he spent with his friends; fishing, golfing and telling stories at O'Shays. He loved a good laugh, a good handshake and a good friend. From his days in college, his stint at IBM, and his construction business, Shay had friends from all walks of life with friendships he maintained beyond distance and time. If he knew we were crying while we wrote this, he would be irritated because he wants everyone to remember him as the guy they could depend on - and we did. He could always be counted on for hard work, true friendship, generosity, honesty, laughs and loyalty. The last several years of his life were focused on his grandchildren and children. When the flood hit their house, Shay and Pattie rallied with the help of friends and family. Shay tackled that bump in the road with the same 'can do' intensity and sense of humor that he brought to everything he ever did. Per Shay's demands, he did not want to be stuck in a hot stuffy room with people crying their eyes out and making speeches that no one will remember. With that in mind, a celebration of his life, for those of us who love him and all of us who have had the pleasure of knowing him, will be kicking off on Sat. Sept. 6, 2014 between 3pm - 9pm at the Boulder County Fairgrounds picnic pavilion. Come one, come all, come comfortable. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Shay Bickel Memorial Fund at Ahlberg Funeral Chapel. Visit www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com to share condolences.