Louis "Lou" Alan Seaverson

Lou Seaverson, 88, left our world on Thursday January 16 after suffering a stroke in late November. At first there was great hope he’d be able to recover; however his body was unable to remedy myriad issues even as his mind was sharp to the end. He was young in mind and body until the stroke.

Lou was born in Rawlins, Wyoming the day after Christmas in 1936 to parents Lester and Arlee Seaverson. The second of three children, Lou grew up in the shadow of WWII, following his military-reservist father from post to post until the end of the war. He enjoyed a joyful childhood with his siblings and friends which included summers at the Pick Ranch near Saratoga WY.

After high school he attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie, was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering in January 1960. Upon graduating he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He married his first wife Mary Ann Havrilo in February 1960 in Rawlins WY.

Over the next few years, Lou and his first wife lived first in Denver, then on the Grand Forks Air Force Base in Grand Forks ND (where he was promoted to First Lieutenant), moving to Schenectady NY to work for General Electric. During that time his three children Brenda, Lynnae and Monique came to being. An avid skier, in 1967 Lou moved back to Colorado and settled his family in Green Mountain on the west side of the Denver metro area because the skiing was much better in the west than back east! Colorado would be where Lou lived the rest of his life.

Lou acted and sang (a strong baritone or bass) in community theater in the 70s while he worked for various engineering companies including General Electric, Dow Chemical and Rockwell International, culminating with innovative project work at the Rocky Flats site north of Arvada until he retired in 1994.

In the early 1980s Lou met his second wife Carolyn Olsen, with whom he shared his life for the next 45+ years.

Lou was an avid skier, photographer and inventor. He skied well into his 80s. He was known for the mounted bicycle horn on his ski pole – his companions always knew where he was on the ski mountain! Lou was always looking for the next great nature photo shoot. He and Carolyn were never without a camera at hand. Lou had thousands and thousands of slides that chronicled their adventures; a wonderful visual history of their many travels (over 30 countries) as well as gatherings with family and friends. Lou was a “tinkerer” with an extensive basement workshop where he created kinetic sculptures and various inventions. His grandsons jokingly coveted the many tools and contraptions that Lou built up over time.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his younger brother Grant Seaverson and nephew David Handley. He is survived by his wife Carolyn, daughters Brenda Roberts (Ken), Lynnae Flora (Matthew), Monique Gilstrap (Richard); step-daughter Katherine deForest (Doug), step-son Steve Olsen; grandchildren Logan Savage (Natalie), Kenny Roberts (Chrissy), Nicolette Roberts; Emily, Nadia and Paul Flora and Autumn deForest; and great grandchildren Brett Davis, Colton and Wyatt Savage and Case Roberts. He is also survived by his elder sister Laurian Harshman, 90, and niece Katherine Sigler (Jim) and his younger stepsister Ann McKee (Rob), as well as numerous cousins and extended family.

Services are planned at Fort Logan National Cemetery on April 11 at 10:30 a.m. A celebration of Lou’s life will immediately follow the service in the Community Room at 3675 South Cherokee Street, Englewood at approximately 11:30a.m. with food and drink.

See https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/thornton-co/louis-seaverson-12203442 for pictures and remembrances. Donations may be made in Lou’s name to the American Legion https://www.legion.org/.

Dad had the bluest eyes. In the last conversations with him he concentrated those blue eyes intently upon each person with whom he engaged. An engineer, inventor, photographer and skier, he loved his family deeply and will live on in our hearts.