Edward B. Cordes, 68, died March 10, 2020. He was born in Greeley, Colorado, one of six children of Dorothy and Bernard Cordes. He attended Sacred Heart parochial school in Roggen, Colorado, and Weld County High School. He went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Nebraska.
In his professional life, Mr. Cordes practiced accounting with Ernst & Young in Omaha and in Denver before forming Denver-based Cordes & Company in 1983. Cordes & Company became a premier firm for business support services, such as oversight of assets and operational management, financial advisory services, valuation, and litigation support for distressed companies, with offices in Denver, Minneapolis, and Irvine, California.
Mr. Cordes proudly served on many public and charitable boards, including the Colorado State Fair Board, the Board of the Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority, and the Denver Urban Ministries. Ed served as Chairman of the Board of the Guaranty Bank Corporation until its recent sale, and as President of the Board of the Colorado FFA Foundation. In 2019, he established the Edward B. Cordes Scholarship Fund, which will fund over 30 full-ride scholarships for FFA students to attend a Colorado college or vocational school.
Ed leaves behind his wife, Polly Jessen; his children from his former marriage, Katherine Cordes (34) of Denver, and Matthew Cordes (32) and Matt’s husband, Daniel Freeman, of Zurich, Switzerland; and Ed’s step-children, Margot Jessen-Hegelbach (18) and Jacqueline Jessen-Hegelbach (17) of Boulder, Colorado. He is also survived by his sister Mary Hopp, and her husband, James Hopp, of El Dorado Hills, California; his sister, Ruth Konda, and her husband, Richard Konda, of Loveland, Colorado; his sister, Helen Cordes, and her husband, Eric Selbin, of Georgetown, Texas; his sister-in-law, Susan Cordes of Roggen, Colorado; and his brother, Martin Cordes of North Platte, Nebraska. He also leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews and their children and his former wife Rebecca (Hahn) Cordes. He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother, John Cordes of Roggen, Colorado.
Funeral services will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Roggen, Colorado. In response to escalating concerns about exposure to coronavirus, the family has made the difficult decision to limit the visitation, rosary, and funeral services to family only. A separate memorial event will be held at a later date to be announced, to allow friends, family, and colleagues to celebrate Ed’s life and legacy.
Memorial gifts in lieu of flowers can be made to the Edward B. Cordes Scholarship Fund of the Colorado FFA Foundation, P.O. Box 1000, Greeley, Colorado 80632.
Allnutt Funeral Service-Greeley is handling funeral arrangements. More information can be found at www.allnuttgreeley.com.
