Willis E Fuchs

Willis Earl Fuchs, “Bill” to his family and friends, passed away peacefully on August 6th, 2019 in Simla, Colorado. More than a beloved father, brother, grandfather, cousin, and uncle, Bill brightened the lives and touched the hearts of countless people across the western plains of Colorado and beyond.

Bill was born on January 29th, 1936 at the Boulder Colorado Sanitarium to Harriet Elna Sheehan and Frank Willis Fuchs. He was named after his father and uncle Earl Sheehan, but earned the nickname “Wild Bill” in part for his penchant for mischief and his cowboy lifestyle, both of which remained a prominent part of his wonderful personality throughout his eighty-three years. He spent his boyhood years with his sister, Mitzi and his Cousins Dave, Theo, Rita, and Irv, helping their families eke out a living on their ranches north of Calhan.

Bill graduated from Calhan High School in 1954. He was an accomplished high school athlete, and not only continued to play competitive sports well into his 50s, but also could always be found in the stands cheering on his kids during their own athletic endeavors. To make ends meet after high school, he worked a myriad of construction jobs until he met his future wife Carolyn Sue Eckhardt, whom he married in September of 1959. After they got married, they spent three years living at the ranch in a trailer house across from Frank and Elna. When things got tight on the ranch, the couple moved to Killian’s Ranch north of Calhan where Bill worked as a ranch hand and showed the Killian’s cattle at the biggest livestock events across the country.

An unfortunate break (literally – his leg) meant an end to his ranching days so he spent the next few years as a mechanic for Corman Walberg before moving with Carol back to Holstein, Nebraska where the couple helped with the family business at the Eagles Club. The whirlwind of odd jobs continued at a bakery and Johnson’s diary in Ellicott before Bill finally found his job running a road grader for El Paso County Department of Transportation where he worked from 1974 to his retirement in 1996. He spent his remaining years in Calhan carousing with his friends and entertaining everyone with his jokes and light-hearted conversation. He excelled at bowling and billiards and was well-known for his creativity and craftmanship; from silversmithing, leatherworking and stonecutting to drawing and fashioning windmills, dreamcatchers, and cactus from barbed wire. But most of all, he was known for his bowed legs, his cowboy hat, and his charismatic smile.

In addition to his beloved sister, Mitzi and his niece and nephew Lisa and Kevin, Bill leaves behind five loving children, Cindy Blasingame of Ramah; Marty Fuchs of Dallas, Texas; Vincent Fuchs of Nappanee, Indiana; Sharan George of Simla; and Clay Fuchs of Colorado Springs. Also cherishing his memory are his grandchildren Ian, Heather and Ty, Shea and Colton, Janelle, Jessica, Jason and Joel, as well as great-grandchildren Kashlyn and Kodie, Taci and Riatta.

Visitation will take place Sunday, August 11th 2019, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. at Swan-Law Funeral Directors, 501 N. Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs. His funeral and celebration of life follows immediately afterwards at 2:00. The following day, the family will attend a private burial service in Colorado Springs at Memorial Garden.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund at https://www.wolfactionfund.com/donate or the Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center at https://www.wolfeducation.org/volunteer.