Charles Richard Bottinelli

1925 - 2022

Charles Richard (Dick) Bottinelli

December 9, 1925 - October 19, 2022

Charles Richard (Dick) Bottinelli, passed on October 19th, 2022, at age 96. The son of a coal miner, he was born on December 9th, 1925, in Louisville, Colorado. Dick graduated from Louisville High School in 1943. In December 1943, he joined the Army Air Corps during WWII and served as a radio operator in the Pacific Theater.

In 1951, Dick married Marian (Rudmann) Bottinelli after she declared, "Dick, we should get married." At which he replied, "I don't have any money for a ring." "I do," she stated matter of factly. "Ok." And so it was…they were married 68 years until her passing in 2019.

While attending Denver University and upon graduating from DU Law School in 1952, he worked as an insurance adjuster in Denver and then opened an independent insurance adjuster's office in Grand Junction in 1954. While raising a young family, Dick maintained a remarkable work ethic, investigating myriad claims across Western Colorado and Southeastern Utah. It was a career he thoroughly enjoyed. He operated McMillan Claim's Service until his retirement in 1994.

Dick's loyalty, positive spirit, and genuine interest in others created life-long friendships. Making the most of his retirement years, he played tennis until he was 93. In 2000, he was honored to receive the Outstanding Senior Player of the Year from the Colorado Tennis Association. Dick was ranked at both the state and national level. He cherished the many friends he made on the court. Doubles partners or opponents, it didn't matter to Dick. He and his sweet wife, Marian, always had a wonderful time traveling to the numerous tennis tournaments he played in. They also created many fond memories on Maui where they made even more friends, reconnecting every year on the court and beach. Dick also enjoyed skiing, basketball, softball, fishing, and bowling. He could often be seen at the GJ Tennis Bubble or Canyon View Park accompanied by his beloved Golden Retrievers, Betsy and Bella.

Dick was an incredibly engaged father to David (Sheilah) Bottinelli of Grand Junction, Dan (Kathryn) Bottinelli of Arvada, and Carolyn (Kit) Jackson of Telluride. He is also survived by grandchildren Chenoa Jenkel, Lucas Bottinelli, Kelsey Fullerton, Lisa Budge, and seven great-grandchildren.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone at The Center at Foresight for the dedicated and compassionate care Dick received during his stay there.

If you are lucky, you get a good father; if you are really lucky, you get a great father; if you are really, really lucky and blessed, your father becomes your friend. Today we lost a great father and a dear friend. Dick's life was a life well-lived. A Celebration of Life will be held in June.

To continue the love of tennis to our local youth, please consider a memorial donation to Mesa County Tennis, 658 Kapota St., Grand Junction, Colorado 81505, or Louisville Historical Museum, 1001 Main Street, Louisville, Colorado 80027.