Francis William Satchell

Francis (Frank) William Satchell, 80 passed away peacefully at home in Conifer, Colorado with his loving wife Kathleen by his side on Sunday, July 5, 2026. He was born on December 29, 1945 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Francis, or “BillyFrank” as he was known in his later years is survived by his wife of almost 40 years, Kathleen Faye Kelly Satchell, known as “Kat” by most friends. He is also survived by his brother Carl and his wife Carol of Colorado Springs, and his nephews, Brian and Chris. He was preceded in death by his father William H. Satchell Jr. and mother Elizabeth Susanne Houston Satchell. He is also survived by his Arabian stallion Zolnas Blews and his Bluepoint Siamese cat June Carter.

BillyFrank spent his early childhood years in Carlsbad, New Mexico where his father was a traveling tire salesman for Sears and Roebuck and his mother worked as a secretary for a potash mining company. He spent his summers exploring and swimming with his brother and buddies in Lake Carlsbad which is a widened section of the Pecos River. He was a 1964 graduate of Sandia High School in Albuquerque.

He enlisted in the United States Army on April 25, 1963 and was eventually stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana. In 1963-1964, Fort Polk was officially designated as the U.S. Army Training Center, Infantry. BillyFrank completed Basic Combat and Advanced Infantry Training and earned an expert badge with Rifle Bar and a 100% Drill Attendance Medal. He transferred to Fort Bliss, Texas on December 11, 1964 where he received an early release from active duty and completed his remaining service obligation with the New Mexico Army National Guard. He received an Honorable Discharge from the Armed Forces of the United States of America on April 24, 1971. He later enlisted in the Coast Guard Reserve and served until he was honorably discharged in 1979.

BillyFrank was a renaissance man with a sense of adventure along with a strong work ethic who valued education, world travel and history. Throughout his life, he loved to learn. He earned a BA in Cultural Anthropology in 1972 and an MA in Public Administration and Recreation Administration in 1977 from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He was captain of the UNM Fencing Club from 1975 to 1978 and was a member of the Delta-Zeta Chapter of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

BillyFrank became interested in his family history and began doing extensive research on Ancestry.Com many years ago. His lineage is traced back several hundred years. He was a direct descendant of Malcolm III, King of Scotland from 1058 to 1093. He was also a descendant of Abraham Clark, an American Founding Father, politician, and Revolutionary War figure, who was a delegate to the Continental Congress for New Jersey, and a signee of the Declaration of Independence.

He was an expert outdoorsman and enjoyed long distance running, winter backpacking, bow hunting, black powder shooting, and bicycle touring. In 1978, he traveled to Paris, France to live and study the sport of Fencing. He joined the Racing Club and competed competitively in France, Israel and the United States. His sword of choice was the Épée. He loved Paris and was fortunate to live there for almost a year before he returned to Albuquerque in June 1979.

In the summer of 1979 BillyFrank traveled to Pocatello, Idaho to visit his brother Carl and Carl’s wife Carol. His then girlfriend, now his wife Kat, traveled there with him and from there they went on their first big car camping adventure together, traveling west along the Salmon and Columbia Rivers to where the Columbia meets the Pacific Ocean near Astoria, Oregon. At Seattle, they caught the ferry to Vancouver Island and enjoyed an extended camping stay visiting the Butchart Gardens and camping on the northern beaches of the island. They continued to car camp across southern Canada until they ran out of money.

In the Fall of 1979 BillyFrank and Kat relocated to Pocatello where Kat completed a teaching assistantship and master's degree in Athletic Administration at Idaho State University. During their 5-year stay in Pocatello, they ran Big Al's Sandwiches and Pizza, a mom and pop restaurant located in downtown Pocatello. Kat worked full-time as the Physical Program Director at the YMCA while BillyFrank worked long but productive hours as a small business owner. Along the way, they bought their first home, cross country skied in the winter, bicycled and ran on the mountain highways, and sailed their small boat on the American Falls Reservoir in the summer.

In the summer of 1984, BillyFrank accepted a job in Denver as a restaurant manager, they sold their Pocatello business and home, loaded their 4 cats and their belongings in a U-Haul truck and relocated to Colorado. They eventually bought a 1905 story and a half bungalow near City Park. This was the beginning of their first stint living in the Denver area. BillyFrank and Kat were married at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church in Denver on July 30, 1986.

BillyFrank was a fast-food manager for a short while at various restaurants until he began a career with the City and County of Denver in 1988 first for Golf Courses and eventually for the Recreation Department as a Recreation Coordinator at Highland Senior and Globeville Senior Centers until June 1992. Kat was working as a Human Resource director at a large hotel in downtown Denver and was offered a promotion and transfer to Long Beach, California. Ever the adventurers, the couple packed up their 4 cats, Tom Bombadil, Miss Priss, Champs and Moochacha and their Whippet Bones and moved to Lakewood, California, a suburb near Long Beach in June 1992.

From that point in 1992, it was a whirlwind career move and U.S. travel experience for the couple. Kat transferred to the Colorado Springs Marriott and Frank worked as a ski tech at the U.S. Air Force Academy. They bought and sold another home. From there they moved to Mackinac Island, Michigan in 1995 where Frank managed the health club and Kat worked as the HR director at an island resort hotel during the summer of 1995. In November 1995, Kat was transferred to the Syracuse Marriott in Central New York State.They bought a custom-built post and beam home on 10 acres outside of Cazenovia, New York amongst dairy farm country. BillyFrank took equine science courses at SUNY Morrisville and bought their first horse Alle, an Arabian mare at a slaughter auction in southern New York.

In April 1998 BillyFrank and Kat returned to the Denver Metro area with Alle, Bones the Whippet, and their cats Angel and Moochacha when Kat was transferred to a hotel in the Denver Tech Center. They purchased their current home southeast of Conifer on August 1, 1998. Bones passed away in 1998, and Cleo the Whippet became part of the family later that year until her passing in 2012. In 1999, BillyFrank purchased a 3-year-old Polish Arabian Stallion named Zolnas Blews. He still resides on their property and is a healthy 30 years old. Alle passed in 2018 at 33 years of age. June Carter Cat joined the family in June 2013 and was an ever present and doting caregiver for BillyFrank his entire life, but even more so during his final days. June Carter lives on as a feisty little cat and is doing her best to take care of Kat.

During his 80 years on earth, BillyFrank was an athlete, a sailor, a motorcyclist, a classic car guy and drag racer, a leathercrafter, a great cook, and an avid reader of Americana history and Southwest culture. He was a responsible gun owner and expert marksman. He was an expert Western equestrian, a trained farrier, and lover of all things western and equine. His regular attire since high school was western boots and shirts, Wrangler jeans, bolo ties, and cowboy hats. He loved to western swing and rockabilly jive dance with Kat. He loved the Rockabilly and traditional country music scene and dance community. He and Kat were regular followers and supporters of local Rockabilly bands for over 20 years.

BillyFrank and Kat were fortunate to be able to travel to various Rockabilly Weekenders in New Mexico, California, Tennessee, Italy and Spain in the past 12 years. The fun times enjoying old time rock n' roll and country music genres will live on in spirit with Kat and all of their music and dance friends who had the pleasure and honor of knowing Francis William Satchell.

Special thanks goes out to the primary care, oncology, cardiac and surgical care teams at Kaiser Permanente Colorado Lakewood and Franklin Medical Offices and Russell Pavilion who cared for him during his 23-month battle with esophageal cancer, and to the wonderful hospice team at Intermountain Hospice during his final days. And thank you to our family and many special friends and neighbors who were the spiritual and physical support for him throughout his illness. You know who you are.

BillyFrank lived life to the fullest; he was a kind and wonderful man and a helpful friend and neighbor. Many friends will remember and honor his strong spirit, his vibrant life, and his enduring legacy of love. Into Heaven, God has welcomed a wonderful man home.

Visitation, Services, and Reception will be held at Olinger Mortuary, Chapel Hill, Centennial, Colorado, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, starting at 12:30 pm. Graveside services with Military Honors and Inurnment will be held on Saturday, July 18th at 10:00 am at Mount Lindo Cemetery near Morrison, Colorado.

While flowers are a beautiful tribute, we ask that you consider donating to your favorite charity in BillyFrank's memory.