Loys Gilbert Caldwell

Born on a farm just outside of Harlan, Kansas on October 9, 1935, Loys was the youngest child of Virgil and Gladys (Gilbert). Loys enjoyed a childhood on the farm with his older sisters Roberta and Dolores, which included helping his father and uncles raise racing greyhounds. Loys attended school as one of three kids in a class. After graduating high school, he attended Fort Hayes University receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Science Education. He moved to Portis, Kansas where he taught high school sciences and coached basketball. During his time teaching, he was asked to play on a basketball team composed of teachers playing against the Harlem Globetrotters when they came through Kansas. The Harlem Globetrotters won. A story he told bits and pieces from time to time.

After six years as a science teacher, Loys joked he wanted to go into a career that was a bit quieter, so he enrolled in Kansas University Medical School where he earned an associate degree in Mortuary Science. He worked a few years in a funeral home in Kansas before moving to Denver, Colorado in 1968 where began working at Chapel of the Angels. After hearing a mortuary in the small mountain town of Idaho Springs, Colorado was for sale, he met and eventually developed a close relationship with the owner, Chris Tomford. Loys purchased Tomford Mortuary in 1972 and was the Clear Creek County Coroner from 1979-1987.

During his time in Idaho Springs, Loys married his wife Madeline (Paprocki) in 1973. They welcomed their daughters Kerstin in 1974 and Amanda in 1977. Their home in the mortuary was a warm and lively space where Loys and Mattie entertained family and friends as Loys mixed the drinks for all to enjoy. While in Idaho Springs, he was an active member of both the Elks and Lions clubs as well as a member of the United Methodist Church where he sang in the choir. Golf was Loys’ passion, and as a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, he and another funeral director joined a casket salesman and a forensic pathologist to form a foursome who proudly played in many golf tournaments under the name “The Dead Beats”.

After many years of constantly being on call, Loys realized raising a family without dedicated time off was becoming more difficult. Through the funeral industry, he met a young funeral director named Bob Gibson, a transplant from Ohio. After many conversations, Loys and Bob decided to become business partners and purchased Andrews Funeral Home in Castle Rock, Colorado in 1984. Bob moved in and started establishing a relationship with the community right away while Loys, Mattie, Kerstin, and Amanda joined after the sale of Tomford Mortuary in 1986. In Castle Rock, Loys became a member of the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce, the First United Methodist Church, and Castle Rock Senior Center. He also served as president of the board that created the Douglas County and Elbert County Hospice. He delighted in attending many years of the International Golf Tournament at Castle Pines and was proud to help to select the site for the Red Hawk Golf Course in Castle Rock.

Having a partner to alternate weekends and holidays off was a luxury to Loys and his family. After borrowing some friend’s pop-up camper for a weekend, he began scouring sale ads for one of his own. Eventually, Loys set his sight on an RV and enjoyed many family adventures in campgrounds. Family vacations led Loys and Mattie to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri where Loys instantly felt at home. They purchased a house on the lake in Climax Springs, Missouri where they welcomed family and friends for many years. Loys’ years at the lake were some of his fondest memories.

In 2012 Loys and Mattie moved from Castle Rock to Heather Gardens in Aurora, Colorado, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Living on a small golf course kept him busy with his favorite hobby and building social engagements continued to give him opportunities to share cocktail recipes with neighbors and friends.

Loys leaves behind his wife of 50 years, Mattie, his daughters Kerstin and Amanda, Kerstin’s husband Sam Gordon, and their children Amara and Elliot Gordon, as well as pseudo granddaughters Autumn, Bailey, and Chey Anne Sharon. He is also survived by brothers and sisters-in-law, several nieces and nephews, and their families. Loys was preceded in death by his father Virgil, his mother Gladys, his brother Kendall, and his sisters Roberta and Dolores.

Memorial services will be held at Olinger Andrews Caldwell Gibson Funeral Home in Castle Rock, CO at 11:00 am on Friday, August 9, 2024.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in his name.