Harold Staal

Mr. Red Staal changed my life with his sense of adventure and generousity. God bless you Red!

Mr. "Red" Staal was the single most important individual to open up my world. Though I read "Treasure Island" as a kid in GR, Red brought it to reality by generously dragging me along on family trips as Mikes buddy. Weekends in Aspen or sailing down the East Coast to the Bahamas and beyond! This love of adventure has stuck with me to this day. Before his passing, I was lucky enough to realize it's significants and express it in a letter to him. Thank Red, and Mary, Mike and the Staal family...

Aunt Mary, I am the daughter of Uncle Red's sister, Janet, and Ed Nagelkirk. I remember seeing you at Grandma and Grandpa Staal's home and I thought you were the most beautiful lady I had ever seen, and Uncle Red was totally in love with you. You must miss him very much. Please accept my condolences. Sincerely, Julie Disselkoen

Dear Great Aunt Mary and family,

The sounds of the "twin" laughs of Great Uncle Red and his brother, my Grandpa Ben, still ring in my ears. They remind me that life is good and there is always room for good natured, mischevious souls such as theirs.

While I knew Uncle Red as a child, it is as an adult where our paths crossed on a more regular basis and forged into a partnership over many years.

He offered financial advice to his niece (my Mom Shirley) after...

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Aunt Mary and family - I heard about Uncle Red's passing from my cousin Ben Rottschafer a few days ago. I have been thinking since that time how much I wished I had made an effort to spend more time with him and your family. I loved Uncle Red because he was the same/similar happy, loving, laughing version of his older brother Ben, my wonderful grandfather. I have learned in my life that love and laughter are two very important aspects of a person that gets lost so easily in our work/family...

Correction: Colorado wasn't the birthplace of Lowell Thomas. He was born in Ohio, according to Wikipedia. Another famous jouralist whom I admired who must have been born in that humble mining town. Ahhh, memory can be so unreliable.