Richard Garner

Richard (Dick) Garner was born in Denver, Colorado on February 2, 1940 to Edna O. and Thorald Garner . Dick passed away on March 13, 2016 in Lone Tree, Colorado. Shortly after Dick’s birth Edna, Dick and older brother Jack moved to Genoa, Colorado where they lived with Dick’s grandparents, Olavis and Emma Knutson. Dick was baptized and confirmed at the Christ Lutheran Church in rural Genoa, Colorado. He attended Genoa Grade School until 1947 when Edna married Nickolas (Sam) Emmerling and they moved to Hugo, Colorado. Dick completed high school in Hugo and he had lettered in football, basketball, and baseball all four years. He also enjoyed pitching baseball for the V.F.W. team. Dick loved to remanence about his school years, and he loved returning to Hugo for the yearly Homecoming events when he and his classmates would build floats to enter in the parade. He looked forward to the pot luck dinners where he could reconnect with alumni and friends. Dick attended Colorado State College, now named University of Northern Colorado, and after earning his bachelor’s degree, he began his teaching career. His first job was in El Paso, Texas at Ysleta High School and after two years he moved on to Clinton High School in Clinton, Wisconsin. He missed friends and family so he returned to Colorado and taught and coached at Revere High School in Ovid, Colorado. After two years he moved on to Flood Middle School in Englewood, Colorado where he was described by his students as a friend, good teacher, fun, cheerful, cool, nice, and having a good sense of humor. Dick taught math, industrial arts, mechanics, drafting, crafts and life skills. He loved coaching and he was most proud of his team winning the State Championship in Revere. In addition to coaching football, Dick also coached boy and girls’ basketball, track and baseball. During his years at Flood Middle School he completed his Master’s degree. Dick retired from teaching in 1993, During his retirement Dick enjoyed playing golf with old friends from Hugo and with some of his educator friends from Flood Middle School. He continued volunteering with a group of young special needs people in the Metropolitan area. He and his longtime friend, John Schoonover met weekly for twenty-one years, spending time together attending ball games, going to shopping malls and thrift stores, visiting Cabela’s and Bass Pro and always eating out at their favorite restaurants where they were treated like celebrities. Dick was always available to help out with his mother, Edna and his sister Jeanette when they had a need. Dick was preceded in death by his grandparents Emma and Olavis Knutson, his parents, Edna and Sam Emmerling, and his brother Jack. Dick is survived by his daughter Jennifer Wolfe of Aurora, Colorado, three grandchildren, Ehric of Fort Collins, Colorado, Jared and Emma, his sister Jeanette Moss of Hugo, Colorado and brother, John (Kathy) Emmerling of Lakewood, Colorado and several nieces and nephews.