Richard Gordon Shields

Richard Gordon Shields of Aurora, Colorado passed away on January 10, 2024, at the age of 75. Richard is survived by his sister Helen, his four children Pealar (Dede), Richard, Andrew (Andy), and Joseph (Joe) Shields and his seven grandchildren Patricia Britt, Matthias Shields, Nathael Shields, Deanndria Shields, Nicolas Carje, Isabelle Shields, and Amelia Shields.

Richard (fondly known as Rich) held many titles throughout his life. He was a husband, father, grandfather, veteran, and friend. To know him was to love him, rather he wanted you to or not. He was a proud man who rarely asked for assistance but found great joy in sharing his wisdom and advice, even when you didn’t ask for it. If he loved and cared for you there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for you.

Richard was born on August 10, 1948 in Whiteville, Tennessee to Dorothy (Dot) and Atlas Shields. Shortly after Rich's birth, Dot and Atlas loaded what they could carry, caught the Greyhound bus, and moved to Colorado. In time, came his siblings Helen, Doug, and Linda. Life was hard and times were lean. Rich learned defiance at an early age and his rebellious spirit led his interests to fast cars, speaking his mind, various careers paths, and broken relationships.

He was drafted to the US Army in 1968. After bootcamp, Rich was assigned a position in the Military Police force. Whenever he discussed this, he would snicker and make the comment "Who would ever believe they made me a cop".

As Rich settled down, he made a life for himself in the Westminster, Thornton, Aurora, and Deer Trail areas of Colorado. He worked at the Conoco Refinery in Commerce City for about 27 years, mostly as a millwright. He was mechanically inclined and good at fixing things, both at work and at home. He shared his abilities with his youngest sons, Andy and Joe, who followed in their dad’s footsteps by working at the Refinery.

In 2006, after surviving a major heart attack, Richard retired from the Conoco Refinery and moved to Narka, Kansas. Making new friends in a small town was easy. Those friends introduced Richard to farming, harvesting, and golf. From the first introduction round of golf, Rich was hooked and couldn't get enough of it. One of his proudest moments was the only “hole in one” he had ever gotten, playing in a golf tournament. He talked about that experience often and his love for the game was contagious. He was happy to teach you some pointers if you showed an interest in learning how to improve your golf swing.

A health scare in 2012 forced Rich to move back to Colorado. His love of golf, interest in cooking and associated kitchen gadgets/appliances, and his enjoyment of life continued….but his stubbornness never faltered. In 2019, Rich moved to Aurora, Colorado until his death in 2024. The highlight of each morning was drinking some coffee and feeding the squirrels off the back deck. He even trained the neighborhood squirrels to take food right out of his hand. After feeding the squirrels, he would converse with Roo (one of the 3 household cats) and Cuddles (the household dog), drink some more coffee, and then enjoy his day. Unfortunately, Rich's health continued its downward spiral and his mobility suffered. As time passed, he required assistance with daily activities until his passing on January 10, 2024.

Although his passing was unplanned and sudden, it was not unexpected. Rich had developed major health issues over the years: a major heart attack, diabetes, pacemaker, COPD, 24/7 oxygen, and more. In July 2022, Rich was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. Rich knew he had an expiration date, but no one knew when it was - until now.

Rich felt he had lived a full life, sometimes bad, sometimes good, and sometimes fantastic. When asked, Rich would say "I'm 75 years old. I've lived a good life." He had accepted his lot in life; counting the roses and ignoring the thorns. Rich was loved by many and will be truly missed. Although he is no longer present in person, he will always remain present in our hearts.

A celebration of life is being held on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at the Olinger Highland Mortuary (10201 Grant St., Thornton, CO 80229) from 2-5pm.