Richard "Dick" Elm

Richard Lee ‘Dick’ ‘Ol'Pa’ Elm, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend was surrounded by family as he peacefully passed away on May 9, 2020 at his home in Pueblo West.

Dick was born February 13, 1931 in Minden, NE. He attended Kearney (Nebraska) High School where he was involved in student government and was a stand out athlete in many sports, but excelled in football and basketball. He attended the University of Nebraska Kearney (formerly Kearney State College) on a football scholarship. He married his high school sweetheart, Gloria Morton on Nov. 11, 1949 and their legendary life-long romance was celebrated last fall on their 70th wedding anniversary.

Dick and Gloria moved to Pueblo in 1953 and his three decade career in education began as a P.E. teacher at Bradford Elementary. At Bradford, he and fellow educator and lifelong friend, Everett Thalhammer, also coached and refereed many teams and sporting events. He attained his Masters Degree in Education with an administrative endorsement in 1962 from Western State College in Gunnison. Dick then applied his administrator’s license as Principal of Goodnight Elementary for 20 years from 1962-1982. Many students would fondly reminisce with Dick when they would see him, even decades after leaving his schools.

A true educator never forgets a student and a student never forgets someone who inspired them. And given that ethos, he and Gloria instilled a legacy of educators within his own family with 13 children and grandchildren going on to careers in public education. Dick remained supportive of education and educators even in retirement and proudly served for many years on the board of Pueblo Teachers Credit Union.

He was a sports enthusiast all his life and avidly attended his own grand and great grandchildren’s sporting events right up to this spring. As a small boy in Nebraska, Dick grew up hunting, trapping and fishing and carried these passions throughout his very active life. Passing this love of sports and the outdoors on to his children and grandchildren with many trips back to his and Gloria’s old stomping grounds in Nebraska for pheasant hunting and to the Blue Mesa Reservoir near Gunnison for fishing.

But most of all, Ol'Pa loved his large and extended family of 6 children, 18 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren. And they cherished their time with him as well, and would love to hear him call them 'kiddo' or some other warm or funny term of endearment. Ol'Pa loved to tell stories and he had plenty of years and plenty of ears to share his favorites.

Dick is survived by the only love of his life for over 70 years, Gloria (nee Morton) Elm and their love story produced 6 children: Cindy (Greg) Elm-Sinn of Rye, CO; Sue (Bruce) Vincent of Penrose, CO; Sally (Bob) Guasta of Pueblo West; Sandy Sazama of Olathe, CO; Mike (Debbie) Elm of Montrose, CO; and Shelly (Greg) Brunjak of Leadville, CO.

As the current necessity of social distancing does not permit a celebration of life at this time, the family requests any donations in honor of Dick be made to the American Cancer Society or Sangre de Cristo Hospice. Dick would want us all to remember this quote from another legendary teacher, Dr. Seuss: ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.’