Elizabeth Drotar

Elizabeth Ella (nee Glass) Drotar, 87, passed away Friday, October 19th after a 10-month battle with cancer. Born to Charles and Bessie Glass in Benicia, California, Betty (as known to family and friends most of her life) was a longtime resident of Colorado. She moved to Denver in 1946 with her first husband, Edward Spicer. From this union were born Leslie Spicer Burke, deceased, Scott (Meng) Spicer of Orinda, California and Kim Spicer Gjere of Durango, Colorado. From her marriage to Elias Drotar were born Kirk Drotar of Arvada, Colorado and the Rev. Kent Drotar of Centennial, Colorado. Proudly and lovingly she maintained lifelong relationships with her stepchildren and their families. She loved and cared for Cher (Hershel) Drotar Coulter of Donnelly, Idaho and Kathryn (Steven) Drotar Walker and David Drotar, both of Shawnee, KS. She lived in Arvada since moving there in the late 1950’s.

Betty enjoyed traveling—especially by air, and did quite a bit of it while her health allowed—traveling as far as Alaska, Hawaii, Rome and Scotland and other states with many trips to California. And she always liked animals. In addition to the dachshunds she had earlier in her life, she had a number of feline pets the last 40+ years. A couple of her favorite Animal Planet shows were Big Cat Diaries and Meerkat Manor. She was a lifelong and avid sports fan, keeping track of the Cal Berkeley Bears teams, where she attended college, the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies among many other teams. But perhaps what she enjoyed watching the most on TV was Grand Slam Tennis tournaments, as well as ice skating events in the Winter Olympics. Betty bowled in local bowling leagues until late in her life and was known for her “hop, skip and a jump” approach to releasing the bowling ball. She played bridge regularly and often, and was involved in other neighborhood social groups as well. Before losing the ability to write, she enjoyed writing letters and working crosswords and looked forward to the NY Times Sunday puzzle each week. Betty had to enter the out-of-home working world in middle-age and succeeded in jobs with Pyramid Life Insurance, Scott-Rice and finally retiring from Big A Auto Parts in 1996. She was known to be a very good worker and great co-worker/friend to fellow employees, always keeping up with the goings-on of co-workers’ families and children. Despite suffering from many and varied health problems in recent years she always bounced back and showed her kind, gentle and joyful spirit—always quick to smile and of good humor.

Additionally, she is survived by her brother, Charles (Margaret) Glass, Jr. of John Day, Oregon and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren and her nieces and nephews. A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at the Olinger Crown Hill Pavilion of Reflection at 7777 W. 29th Avenue at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 28th with reception to follow. Private inurnment at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Foothills Animal Shelter in Jefferson County (www.foothillsanimalshelter.org) or the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org).