Thomas Stepleton

Thomas (Tom) James Stepleton was born in Durango, Colorado on November 14, 1943. His father, Frank Marion Stepleton, moved from Ohio to the Southwest Colorado town, where he owned and managed Pennington Studios, a local photography shop. Tom was born while his father was serving as a photographer for the Army in Europe during World War II. His mother, May Dunsire Stepleton, was the first American-born daughter of Scottish immigrants and a descendant of the Scottish poet Robert Burns. May worked as a Nurse at Mercy Hospital–the very facility where she was born. She later gave birth to Tom and his four siblings, all of whom were raised by May and Frank in Durango.

Growing up in Durango, Tom attended Catholic school as a child, but later attended Durango High School, where he played football and wrestled. He graduated in 1962, whereupon he enrolled as an undergraduate student at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado. There, Tom earned his Bachelor's degree in education. Soon thereafter, he received his teaching certificate.

In 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, Tom was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served as a rifleman in the 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment of 4th Infantry Division, which operated primarily in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. There, Tom participated in combat operations, sustained minor injuries in a helicopter crash, and even survived a bout with malaria. Tom was honorably discharged on May 3, 1970–a date he remembered well because, on the following day, he closely watched news coverage of the shootings at Kent State University.

After the Army, Tom embarked on his carpentry career. In addition to working as a builder, he owned and operated a hardware store in Denver for several years. After selling the shop in the late 1970s, he continued working as an independent carpenter with a specialty in cabinetry and other unique residential additions. He maintained this vocation until his retirement, but Tom's professional life included everything from teaching at public schools to working on an Alaskan fishing boat to manufacturing and distributing photo boxes adorned with Northwest Coast art. Around Tom's house, you could admire his own artwork, brought to life from the excess lumber and hardware that he didn't think should go to waste.

In 1983, Tom married Judith (Judy) Chilcote, another Colorado native. Together they raised two sons in the quaint former DuPont company town of Louviers, Colorado. The house in Louviers was equipped with a sizable garage that Tom converted into his own woodworking shop, allowing him to spend many working hours close to home. Throughout the 1990s, Tom and Judy also owned a small house in Leadville, Colorado, which they frequented as a place of respite along with members of their extended families. Tom spent the remainder of his days in Louviers, where became a fixture of the town, until he moved north to Westminster, Colorado for the final year of his life.

And Tom was so much more. He was a lifelong outdoorsman and hunter–a true marksman with a bolt-action rifle. He was an avid Denver Broncos fan since the team's inaugural season, attending countless games, including their first Super Bowl appearance in New Orleans in January 1978. He found solace in the music of Bob Dylan, The Band, Randy Newman, John Fogerty, and Jerry Jeff Walker. He rarely missed an opportunity to rewatch a Clint Eastwood, Marlon Brandon, Paul Newman, or Cohen Brothers film. He often scoured Ebay for antiques and collectables to fill the walls and shelves of his home. In his waning retirement years, you could find him enjoying a beer and cigar as he watched the sunset on his patio with his dog Polly.

On February 6, 2026, Tom passed away at his assisted living facility. He is survived by his sons J Thomas Stepleton of Boulder, Colorado, and Frank Dunsire Stepleton of Helena, Montana; his siblings Judy Goodnow of Albuquerque, New Mexico and John Michael Stepleton of Phoenix, Arizona; three grandchildren; and his dog Polly.

A celebration of life will be held from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at the Club2 Clubhouse at the Theo Apartments, 985 Albion St., Denver, CO 80229. In the near future, his cremated remains will be buried at Greenmount Cemetery in Durango, alongside several members of the Stepleton and Dunsire families.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Vietnam Veterans of America and/or your local Humane Society shelter.