M.R. DeSousa

1934 - 2019

On January 18, 2019, M.R. "Rudy" DeSousa entered eternal life while surrounded by loved ones at home following a brief illness. Born April 20, 1934, in Binghamton, New York, Rudy was youngest of eight children born to Portuguese immigrant Joaquin DeSousa and Italian immigrant Amalia Spinelli DeSousa. Despite the loss of his mother at age 5, he grew up surrounded by the love of his father, siblings and extended family. Rudy's tireless work ethic and love for his family was something instilled in him at a young age, watching his own father provide for his family. In 1953, Rudy enlisted in the U.S. Army. While stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, a beautiful young woman caught his attention and stole his heart forever. After a (very) short courtship, Rudy married Terri Trujillo in Colorado Springs on Aug. 27, 1955. One of Rudy's first jobs was in advertising, hand lettering and painting the signs that would hang in grocery stores. In 1958, he began working for IBM in Owego, New York. He transferred to the Boulder plant in 1966, moving to Colorado with his wife, father and four young daughters. Shortly after arriving in Colorado, "little Rudy" was born. The family enjoyed skiing, making cross-country road trips to New York and raising cows on their farm 'Joyful Noises.' Rudy retired from IBM in 1987, but that didn't slow him down. An entrepreneur at heart, he owned several fast food establishments and an apartment complex in Boulder. He was instrumental in helping oldest daughter Lorri open and run a successful business, ArtWarehouse, which "little Rudy" also ran for many years. The greatest lesson Rudy and Terri taught their kids and grandkids was to cherish their family above all else. To quote someone, upon hearing of his passing, "he was the leader of one amazing family." While proud of his kids, Rudy's favorite role was Grandpa and "Grandpa Great." He had a unique relationship with each of his 13 grandchildren, their spouses and seven great-grandchildren. Depending on the circumstance he was career counselor, homework buddy, baseball coach, 4-H assistant, travel agent, sounding board and, well, anything else they needed. Rudy was deeply connected to his family and friends in the United States, but longed for a connection to his family in Europe. Together with his brother Joe, the two underwent a huge genealogy project, discovering family members in Portugal and Italy who had, until then, been "long lost." Not only did Rudy learn to speak Italian as a 60+ year old man, he made many extended trips to Portugal and Italy with Terri, his children and most of his grandchildren. He was also thrilled to welcome his cousins to Colorado on many occasions. Known for his dazzling and permanent smile, Rudy loved golfing, spending time with friends, drawing, drinking coffee, winemaking, gardening, collecting coins and rooting for the Broncos and CU Buffs. Rudy is preceded in death by his parents Amalia and Joaquin; siblings Francis, Joaquin, Angeline, Anthony, Frank, Ernest and Joseph; and grandson Jeffrey Gould. He is survived by his wife Terri; children Lorri (Robert) Williams, Andi (Doug) Felton, Dianne (Rick) Spellman, Jackie (Dennis) Gould and Rudy (Lynne) DeSousa; 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; "fifth daughter" SueEllen DeSousa Sadar, several in-laws and dozens of nieces and nephews; cousins in Italy and Portugal; and many friends who he considered family. It's impossible to sum up a life so well lived in a few hundred words, so for anything we may have missed, fill in the blanks and raise a glass to our dear Rudy DeSousa - a man of tremendous faith, loyalty, love and good humor who will be missed by many. Visitation (6 pm) and Rosary prayers (7 pm) are scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 23, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (323 Collyer Street, Longmont). The Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am on Thursday, Jan. 24, at St. John's. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Life Choices in Longmont or the Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Visit www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com to share condolences.