Gregory Joe Toft

(August 27, 1963 - September 8, 2024)

“It’s funny how it’s the little things in life that mean the most…

…Raise your glasses for a toast

To a little bit of chicken fried

A cold beer on a Friday night”

-Chicken Fried, Zac Brown Band

He savored the simple pleasures: family, friends, fishing, football, food…and a good fire.

Born in Arvada, Colorado in 1963 to Jerry and Daletta (Dee) Toft, Greg moved with his parents and sister Venee to Grand Junction when he was nine. They settled on Brassie Drive where he launched model rockets and made lifelong friends. From his Grandpa Joe, Greg learned a love for woodworking and from his dad, he learned and built a strong love of the outdoors: hunting, skiing, snowmobiling, water skiing, river rafting and fishing.

After graduating from Central High School in ‘81 and a short time at Mesa College, he worked construction in Aspen and expertly learned the trade. He then enrolled and graduated from the University of Colorado Business School. From there, he spent time in Phoenix and in Chicago, where he always biked to his work at the Chicago Board of Trade. Once when riding his bike in Chicago, he broke his arm when a cabbie unexpectedly opened his door, sending Greg flying over the cab. So he decided to trade biking on the busy streets of Chicago for the mountain biking trails of western Colorado and vowed to never move away again.

Greg’s first love was his yellow ‘79 Ford F150, but his true love was Paula. In the late 80s, Greg had started framing houses with Dale Hill. But Dale soon went from Greg’s partner to Greg’s father-in-law. With a shared love of crafts and the outdoors, Paula’s parents, Dale and Shirley, were the perfect match to become lifelong companions and confidants of the young couple. And with Jerry and Dee, they became partners in grandparenting Greg and Paula’s five kids: Brendan, Taylor, Mason, Averee and Kyndall.

Just as their fathers had done, Greg and Paula passed on their love for the outdoors to their kids, especially fly fishing and tying flies. Greg loved going to hunting camp every year with his best buddies, but after a couple days he would start talking about how much he missed his kids, and he was so happy when they were old enough to come along. And it was always a sight to see the seven Tofts skiing down a Powderhorn slope.

This band of seven’s unity, cohesion and efficiency was on full display during hunting season. When Greg would harvest an elk, a family assembly line sprang up in the garage. Greg would bone it out and butcher it, Paula would portion it and the kids would package it and get it ready to freeze. Greg was known to go a bit overboard at Thanksgiving with a 40-50 (yes 50) pound turkey that had trouble fitting in the largest residential oven available. But he was a master of barbecuing ribs for backyard celebrations, and they were best enjoyed while watching the Denver Broncos or the CU Buffs.

When Greg started building homes, he prided himself on doing his own trim and sand & finished hardwood floors. The quality of the design and terrific finish work set his houses above others and they usually sold before they were done. It was a family business and his kids often worked alongside him. From Paradise Hills to Granite Falls, his beautifully built spec and custom homes through Toft Construction, Canyon Creek and Western Canyon will long be a part of the Grand Valley.

When he wasn’t working, he was tying flies for floating fishing trips down the Green River and Black Canyon. Or hitting the slopes for every good powder day at Powderhorn. Or off hunting with his German Shorthaired Pointer, Pete. Greg enjoyed staying fit and eating clean, so it was a surprise when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in late 2021. But cancer is non-discriminate and cancer is not kind. When it became clear that the painful surgeries and chemo he endured would not stop the spreading of the disease, Greg didn’t stop prioritizing doing what he loved and kept his focus on his family, his friends and his work. This past year, he and Paula and their now grown children traveled to Mexico for fun & fishing, where Greg caught so many fish on his fly rod, he was able to share his bounty with the restaurant that grilled up his catch. This spring included a trip seeing friends in Florida and he started the summer with a rafting trip down the Green River with family and friends. Greg and Paula charged hard at battling this horrible disease but once it spread to his bones, his body just couldn’t handle it anymore. With his family and ailing dog Pete by his side, Greg left to go fishing. And though it was much shorter than it should have been, it truly was a life well lived.

Greg, you always told us to stay strong on our skis - and we will!

Greg is survived by his wife, Paula and their five children, Brendan, Taylor, Mason, Averee and Kyndall. His parents, Jerry and Dee Toft and his sister, Venee (Brooks). His mother and father in-law, Dale and Shirley Hill and brother in-law, Andy Hill (Lisa), nieces and nephews and many many friends that he considered his family.

Service info - A celebration to celebrate Greg’s life will be held at a later date

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Toft Family to help cover expenses associated with Greg’s illness and death. Donations can be made via Venmo @Paula-Toft. Please reference your transaction as a donation.