Joseph Glaser Sr.

1934 - 2018

Joseph Glaser, Sr., passed away suddenly on January 6, 2018, in Loveland, CO. Joe was born on March 11, 1934, in Rochester, NY, second youngest of Mary and Leonard Glaser's seven children. Joe was an altar boy, Boy Scout and later Scoutmaster for Troop 217, and worked various jobs in his childhood and teens. He started working in the scrapyard at Eastman Kodak Company at 17. He graduated from Aquinas Institute of Rochester in 1952, took night school classes in electrical engineering and graduated from Kodak electrician's apprentice program in 1957. He was Seabee in the Navy Reserves. Joe met fellow Kodak employee Deborah MacPhail on a blind date and recalled that he was nervous because those "X-ray girls" had a reputation. They married on September 5, 1959 and moved to West Rush, NY, after daughter Elizabeth was born. Joe was a talented craftsman and made many improvements to the house on East River Road as his family grew, with the birth of Paula, and Joseph Jr. He was also a lieutenant in the Rush Fire Dept. When Kodak offered Joe a transfer to Colorado in 1970, he and Deb jumped at the chance to head West. The family thrived in Loveland. They settled in Lakeside Terrace, a wonderful neighborhood where the family made many friends. Joe was always working on something, building a shop on the garage, closing in the back porch, building bunk beds for Liz and Paula, re-facing the kitchen cabinets, building a deck, building ship models, and tinkering on the boat or his 1975 Jeep Wagoneer. In the fall he hunted deer and elk on horseback in Creede and later in Red Feathers. Many Loveland kids learned to waterski on Ryan Gulch behind the family's boat, with Joe at the wheel. Joe retired from Kodak in 1986. He and Deb traveled around the country, to Florida to visit family and friends, fish with his brothers and nephews, and see Daytona 500; to Texas, Missouri, and South Carolina to visit Liz and her family; throughout the West and up the East Coast; and many trips "back home" to visit family and friends in Rochester. The boat was often seen at Welch Lake, where Joe was president of the Mead Fishing Club, and he and Deb spent time fishing and socializing. Joe enjoyed being an "Old Fart"/Sportsmen" volunteer at Colorado Youth Outdoors, going to Tuesdays breakfasts and helping out wherever needed, especially at the annual Maverick fundraiser at Sylvan Dale Ranch. Joe lost his beloved Deb in January 2015. He was not very mobile in the last year though he still did occasionally go "up the hill" to Blackhawk, elk watching in Estes Park, and he enjoyed when family and friends came to visit. He was well cared for by his many medical providers and his family is very grateful for their kind and compassionate care. Joe is survived by daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Bob Hille; daughter Paula; son Joe, Jr.; grandson Andy Hille, his wife, Alina, and great granddaughter Nia; grandson Cole Glaser; sisters Mary "Honey" Penders, Dorothea Fullem, Lorraine Donadoni; and many nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Life service and reception will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2018, beginning at noon at Colorado Youth Outdoors (CYO), 4927 County Rd 36, Ft. Collins. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to www.coloradoyo.org/.