Joel Ray Deatherage

Joel Ray Deatherage burst onto the scene with a song in his heart on February 26, 1958. Colorado Springs hasn't been the same since. A childhood spent in Colorado fueled Joel's perpetual appetite for adventure. His lofty height of 6' 4" lent itself to basketball, pickleball and hiking. His bold personality lent itself to experimental cooking, throwing parties, road rallies, trying new things and amusingly, singing and dancing. A lifelong enjoyment of literature led to board games, word play, cross word puzzles, jokes, and again, singing. Joel's diverse tastes and hobbies were admired, and maybe a little baffling, to friends who valued his quirky humor and outgoing nature.

In 1982, while planning an office-wide luau, Joel met the darling of his life, Sharon Bolton, who generously looked past a questionable wardrobe and saw a huge heart brimming with love. They married and spent their honeymoon traveling between luxurious Canadian chateaus and outdoor tent camping. Back in the cubicles, Joel transitioned from writing code at BNR (heard of call waiting?) and software at Northern Telecom (ever whipped out a calling card?) to sales at Nortel. This was not his passion but definitely played to his strengths, and he was very successful.

In the 1980s, Joel and Sharon grew their family with daughters Jordan and Cathryn. Joel did an excellent job of prioritizing and modeling an active Christian faith to his family, as well as exposing his daughters to as many musicals as possible. Given his own multifarious nature, Joel embraced each phase, hair color, and pursuit of his daughters, often to their delight and sometimes chagrin. He regularly read aloud classics and was a supportive viewer of student theater, photography, music, writing, and art. As a family, they traveled to Costa Rica, the U.S. Virgin Islands, South Padre Island, multiple national parks for camping, and always back to Colorado to see Pikes Peak and God's beautiful creation there.

Throughout his life, Joel was highly involved in his local church and supporting missionaries around the world. He thrived on helping groups like K-Life and E3, teaching youth and adult Sunday school classes, and quietly catching those that might slip through the cracks. Joel's affable personality and desire to love with action gave him many opportunities to minister to others thoughtfully.

After retirement, Joel and Sharon really cut loose. They have traveled to more countries in the past 10 years than the previous 30. They rode motorcycles in Oslo, drank tequila at a Guadalajaran mariachi festival, dipped into a Tokyo onsen, and floated in the Dead Sea, but always returned to Colorado to enjoy those Rocky Mountain highs. Every summer, Joel escorted a growing posse of grandchildren on the same adventurous hikes that he had taken his daughters over the years. Excursions to Antarctica and Vietnam were in the works when Joel unexpectedly sang his last song. On September 26, 2025, after telling his nurses about the lifechanging luau with Sharon, Joel underwent a minor heart procedure and did not recover.

Our own hearts have shattered at the surprising, sudden exit of our beloved, eclectic mountain man. We are comforted by God's peace, knowing Joel is singing his heart out in worship of his Lord Jesus Christ, creator of the mountains and savior of souls.