Walter Leo Hill

Student athlete, city manager, University administrator, successful banker and community leader, W. Leo Hill passed away on Sunday May 4, 2014. Leo had resided at Frasier Meadows Retirement Community in Boulder for the past 10 years.

Born in rural Missouri, on December 17, 1923, Leo lived with his parents and two brothers in Potosi, Missouri until he was a high school sophomore, when the family moved to Pueblo, Colorado.

Leo attended Pueblo’s Centennial High School graduating in 1941. While at Centennial, he established an excellent academic record and also became an outstanding athlete in both basketball and baseball. In November of 2004 Leo was inducted into the Centennial High School Hall of Fame. Through a recent gift, Leo enabled the completion of the Alumni Courtyard at Centennial. Leo had fond recollections of his time at Centennial, where he met the girl later to become his wife.

Leo served in WWII in the European Theater as a 2nd Lieutenant and pilot with the U.S. Army with the 440th Troop Carrier Group. He was honorably discharged in December of 1945.

He attended Pueblo Junior College before transferring to Colorado College in Colorado Springs. At Colorado College Leo continued to excel both academically and on the athletic field. Leo earned two varsity letters in both basketball and baseball. He was selected for the All-Conference baseball team having led his Colorado College team with a .400 batting average. In 1948 he graduated from Colorado College Cum Laude with a degree in Political Science.

In 1947 Leo married his high school sweetheart, Betty Lue Demaree, in Pueblo. Betty Lue was an active partner in every aspect of Leo’s developing career. Betty Lue passed away in 1997. They had no children.

Leo became an assistant city manager in Pueblo and in 1952 was named the city manager of Columbia, Missouri. In August of 1958 Leo returned to Colorado to become the Vice President for Business Affairs and Treasurer of the University of Colorado, a part of the leadership team of then President Quigg Newton. Leo greatly admired the leadership qualities of Quigg Newton, noting that many of those adopted qualities served Leo well through the balance of his career. Upon Mr. Newton’s death, and consistent with his philanthropic orientation, Leo was active in establishing the Quigg Newton Leadership Chair on the Boulder Campus of the University of Colorado. That chair has been held by two personal friends of Leo, initially Senator Hank Brown and currently Sandy Bracken. This memorial fund was very important to Leo, serving as a tribute to his friend and mentor, Quigg Newton. Over the years Leo had remained a friend of Mr. Newton's family.

In 1963 Leo joined the First National Bank in Boulder. He became president and CEO of that bank in 1964. In 1969 he was central in the formation of the bank holding company, Affiliated Bankshares of Colorado. Throughout the remainder of his career, Leo held various leadership positions within the bank as well as the holding company including President and CEO of both institutions. Leo retired in 1988. Affiliated Bankshares was acquired by BankOne, which subsequently became JPMorgan Chase.

Leo had said that one of his greatest accomplishments was the development of employees who have gone on to serve as bank presidents. He places the number at 20, including the first woman to be president of a nationally chartered bank in Colorado. Leo was always quick to express his pride in the accomplishments of his “kids”.

Leo served the banking industry as president of the Colorado Bankers Association and served on the board of the Colorado School of Banking.

Leo believed in community service. He was an advisor to two governors and played an important role in the process which ultimately brought the National Center for Atmospheric Research, NCAR, to Boulder. As a community leader Leo has served as president of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Boulder County, Boulder Rotary Club, the University of Colorado Foundation, and the Alumni Club of Colorado College. Other boards upon which he has served include Frasier Meadows, the national Municipal League, and Boulder Community Hospital and its Foundation.

Leo has said, “I wish I were triplets…..I’ve wanted to do so many things!"

Leo was a man of faith and worshiped at Boulder's First Baptist Church, now Pine Street Church.

Leo is survived by a sister Karen K. Coffee, from southern Colorado, a niece Margaret Lue Eisert, a nephew A.C. Hill, and two nephews of Betty Lue's Charles D. Aurand and Richard F. Aurand.

There will be a memorial service to honor Leo Hill, at Frasier Meadows Manor, 350 Ponca Place in Boulder on Thursday, May 15, at 4:30 p.m. in the chapel.

Rather than flowers, contributions to honor Leo may be directed to Boulder Community Hospital Foundation, Colorado College, Frasier Manor and the University of Colorado Foundation. Arrangements under the direction of Crist Mortuary, Boulder, CO.