William Pomrenke

William "Bill" E. Pomrenke
August 12, 1939 - June 26, 2017
Gone Fishing....yes! If you are reading this "Mr. P", "Bill" or "Papa", depending on your stature, also known as William Edward "Bill" Pomrenke, has left for the fishing trip of his life.
Bill was born in Loveland, Colorado, on August 12, 1939, as a surprise bundle of joy to Carl Heinrich and Marie Elizabeth Pomrenke. The family was moved to Leadville before he started elementary school as his father was transferred with Public Service. One more transfer later landed them in Grand Junction where Bill graduated from Grand Junction High School. He attended the now CMU, CSU, and Western State University where he met his wife, Jan, of 55 years. While at CSU he loved time with Uncle Ben, Aunt Agnes, and Phylis and Wendy Pomrenke (cousins).
Following graduation, Bill and Jan were married in the fall and located in Grand Junction where he started his career as a teacher with District 51. Two years later, he learned the insurance profession in Hartford, Connecticut, at the Hartford Insurance Academy when he was appointed manager of the insurance agency known then as Citizens Industrial Bank. That experience lead him to Farmers Insurance Group where he was the District Manager over the Western Slope of Colorado for 33 years. He loved his work, kept himself buried in his work and was rewarded with wonderful travel experiences with surviving wife Jan to great places all over the world. He said he was living the dream and could not have a better job as none existed.
At the time of his retirement in 2000 he was the second most celebrated and awarded District Manager for Farmers Insurance Group in the United States due also to the support of his "second family" of many hard working beloved Farmers Agents over half of Colorado.
He was a funny guy with a terrific sense of humor, which was sometimes a little too dry and it took one a while to catch on and he loved it.
They have two children, Wende Pomrenke and Bret (Stephanie) Pomrenke, and two grandsons, August and Liam Pomrenke, that he wanted to teach more about fishing....top priority!
His children have said they could not have had a better dad because he let them learn their directions in this life and was a constant encouragement to anything they wanted to achieve. He cooked them 5:00 a.m. breakfasts and delivered them to whatever sports practice was happening by 6:00 a.m. He loved gambling anywhere there was a slot machine and was proud to play three at a time until all hours of the night always with a cigar in his mouth which he never lit because he said he could not afford the alimony! Fishing was his other delight, even after dark, telling his family over and over...."just one more cast....just one more cast! I know I can catch another one only bigger!" After retirement he would leave and spend weeks at a time at his Grand Mesa cabin or his Silt cutoff ranch doing all kinds of things he loved. This kind, generous and gentle man will be sorely missed by all.
Services will be held on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, 2:00 p.m. at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary, 2515 Patterson Rd. Grand Junction. Cremation has taken place.
Memorial contributions, if desired, to the Botanical Gardens Pomrenke Children's Library, 641 Struthers Ave, Grand Junction, CO 81501.