Rodney Clair Dexter

Rodney C. “Buddy” Dexter was born on March 30th, 1933 in Boulder to Joseph A. Dexter and Charlotte Gilbert Dexter. He grew up on University Hill in Boulder and on the Dexter Farm at 95th and Valmont in Boulder Valley. He attended Boulder schools, graduating as a star athlete from Boulder High in 1951. He went on to CU and played football for Dal Ward’s Buffaloes.

His education and athletic career were interrupted by the Korean War. He enlisted in the Army, spending a year and a half in Korea.

Upon returning to Boulder, he joined his father working on the family farm and other farms in Boulder Valley. The Dexter men were extraordinary horsemen and were known far and wide for their skills in training and working teams of horses. He didn’t buy his first tractor until the early 1950s.

In 1956, he met and married the love of his life, Clairelyn Seright and together they spent 64 years farming and building a strong and wonderful family life together.

Over the years, his entrepreneurial and adventurous spirit provided many opportunities for the Dexter family. One of the original members of the Boulder County Farmer’s Market, he grew produce and flowers to sell on the Pearl Street Mall in front of the Boulder County Courthouse, bright and early each Saturday morning. Later on, he and Clairelyn opened the roadside market called Dexter Farm, where thousands of school-aged children and their families came from across the region and beyond to pick pumpkins, pet pigs and cows, and learn about the rich history of farming in Boulder Valley. Many children and adults remember visiting the farm and experiencing Buddy’s ample generosity in the form of a few ears of fresh-picked sweet corn or a pint of strawberries. This opportunity to purchase fresh, local produce was a unique and treasured experience for many longtime customers.

A well-respected farmer and mentor to many young men, Buddy earned several distinctions and recognitions in the field of agriculture. As a dealer for Dekalb Seed Corn, he contributed to the research and optimization of soil and growing conditions and was recognized as one of the first farmers to achieve a yield of 200 bushels per acre. His knowledge of historical water rights was vast as an active member and superintendent of the Leyner-Cottonwood Ditch Company for decades. Always a steward of the land, he was also named Boulder County Soil Conservationist of the Year in 1994. At Dexter Farm, Buddy was a pioneer in hydroponics, beneficial insects, natural and organic cultivation methods, and heirloom seed varieties.

An incredibly proud grandfather, Buddy traveled across the state and country to watch his three grandkids play sports. From tee-ball to college softball and footall, he cheered on the CU Buffaloes, Mines Orediggers, and Wyoming Cowboys. From Laramie to Santa Fe, to Las Vegas and beyond, Buddy sure loved a great road-trip.

Buddy was preceded in death by his six sisters and one brother. He is survived by his wife, Clairelyn, two daughters, Kathy Hamlin (Jerry) and Diane Strong (Wayne Shelley), and three grandchildren, Kelly Strong, Jessica Hamlin, and Tyler Strong. He is also survived by his many special nephews and nieces from across the country.

Because he felt that no one should ever go hungry and he thought that the outside of a horse was good for the inside of a man, in his memory, his family ask for donations to be made to one of Buddy’s two favorite charities – The Sister Carmen Center in Lafayette, the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center, or the charity of your choice.