Victor Robert Love

Victor Love of Longmont, Colorado, lost the last of his nine cat lives on July 27, 2021. He wrestled with three rounds of cancer and numerous death-defying heart events, but it was pneumonia that finally felled this gentle giant of a man. He passed away at home, peacefully, in his sleep.

Born in Denver, Colorado, on April 29, 1946, to Victor and Lucille (Irons) Love, Vic was extremely proud to be a Colorado native and lived his whole life in his favorite state. He adored the Rocky Mountains and spent as much time as he could there. He could be found on Mount Evans with the mountain goats, in Rocky Mountain National Park listening to the elk bugle and hunting moose with his camera, or at his beloved Lake Isabelle in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. He even bagged a Colorado 14er, climbing Longs Peak.

The only thing he loved more than the Rocky Mountains was his family. He spent his childhood in Denver just a stone’s throw from his cherished Grandma (Anna) Jones. And his little sisters, Patty and Alice, both adored and tormented him, much to his delight.

After graduating from North High School, Vic married his high school sweetheart, Darlene Maxwell, and started a new family. Daughter Laurie came first and was the light of Vic’s life. Soon to follow was son Bryan, who quickly found his place in Vic’s heart. Vic had many stories of playing living room gymnastics, sledding and building snowmen with the kids. As they grew, he coached their sports teams and took them to various outings (the Denver Zoo and Lakeside Amusement Park were favorites)—and they were both with him on that Longs Peak ascent. He couldn’t have been more proud of them as they grew into adults and had children of their own.

Vic and Darlene eventually parted ways, and a remarriage brought two wonderful kids, Greg and Tiffany, into Vic’s life. Although his second marriage didn’t last, his bond with his stepchildren did. For that, he was always so grateful.

Vic worked at the IBM plant in Boulder for his entire career. He started in the machine shop but soon transferred to the IBM Club—his favorite job at IBM, where he planned all the ski trips, ran the sports leagues, and organized Christmas parties and Family Day every summer. Eventually he moved to personnel and employee benefits and finally ended up as a programmer before he retired.

It was in personnel where he met a young woman named Patty. They took an instant shine to each other, attracted by their mutual sense of humor and spirit of adventure. Although their first vacation almost caused them to get divorced before they were even married, they eventually learned how to travel together and tied the knot (complete with a ball and chain on their wedding cake). Vic and Patty traveled the world together, much of their time spent visiting Laurie and Bryan wherever they happened to be at the time—London, San Diego, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, New York—as well as a yearly trip to the place Vic considered his second home, Nebraska, to visit Patty’s family. Theirs was a storybook romance that lasted nearly 37 years.

Vic’s story would not be complete without mentioning his two great passions: photography and animals.

Vic took a good camera everywhere he went. He chronicled every family event, dabbled in wedding photography for a spell, and took amazing vacation pictures—providing memories that will last a lifetime. Even as his health faltered, his zeal for taking pictures persisted. He snapped shots of hummingbirds, finches, chickadees, flickers, skunks, raccoons, foxes, finches and many other critters who visited the Love Shack. But he was legendary for his moon shots (as well as all things celestial—planets, comets, eclipses and even the International Space Station).

Vic was never far from a dog or a cat, from childhood on. Vic and Patty met most of their beloved pets through the Longmont Humane Society, where Vic volunteered for many years, taking dogs for their morning walks. When Vic’s health made walks too difficult, he and Patty fostered dogs, mostly the shy ones who thrived under Vic’s loving hand. Two dogs were with him at the end—Bella by his side, and Wags in his heart.

Vic is survived by his wife Patty; children Laurie and Bryan (Liz) Love; grandchildren Scotty, Randie, Brady, Katy and Ryan Love; sisters Patty (Rick) LaBriola, Alice (Ed) Harris, Chris Coe, and Kathy Brusaw; nieces and nephews Nick LaBriola, Lisa (Ryan) LaBriola-Welter, Nick DeMoulin, and Margeaux (Xan) Christopherson; nine great nieces and nephews; cousins Debbie (Ron) Hines and Becky (Dan) Sauer and their families; and stepson Greg Barnard. He was preceded in death by his parents and his stepfather, Dave Dawson; Grandma Jones; his Uncle Bob and Aunt Eddie Jones; his stepdaughter, Tiffany (Barnard) Andres; and his brother, Mike Love.

Family and friends will gather for a celebration of life at Howe Mortuary, 439 Coffman Street, Longmont, CO 80501 at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 7, followed by a lunch reception. Memorial contributions may be made to the Longmont Humane Society, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO 80501, www.longmonthumane.org/donate/memorials-tributes