Joe S. Abeyta

Joe S. “Joker” Abeyta, age 83, passed away February 3rd, 2018. Joe was born April 3rd, 1934 in the small town of Tercio in Southwest Colorado to his loving parents: Innocencio Abeyta and Sylvia Serna Abeyta but he grew up in Starksville, CO and attended Trinidad High School until he journeyed to Denver for a change of life in 1952. Once he found a job, he returned back to Trinidad to ask his girlfriend Dolores Trujillo for her hand in marriage and they were able to celebrate 65 wonderful years together.

Joe worked at Samsonite Luggage Company for 19 years and volunteered during his free time coaching youth sports at Rude Recreation Center. Volunteering became his career as he got hired on as a permanent employee in 1969 with the City and County of Denver, Denver Parks and Recreation Department. Joe started his career at Rude Recreation Center and retired at St. Charles Recreation Center in 2003.

Throughout his 34 years with the department, he started from the bottom and worked his way up to a Recreation Supervisor, he also made a name for himself with the communities and families he helped along the way. People all over Denver knew him as trustworthy, a jokester, a leader, and as a mentor.

A memory that Joe always kept with him, was when he took a team from Rude Recreation Center to Chicago, IL for a baseball tournament to be eligible to play in the Little League World Series. Even though they didn’t win, it was a great and memorable experience for Joe and the boys that played on his team including his son.

His hobbies and passions included fishing, spectating all sports, and spending as much time with his family as possible.

He is survived and deeply missed by his wife Dolores; his children, Ruby Ferguson (Paul) and Henry “Hank” Abeyta (Loretta); his grandchildren, Shalaine Abeyta-Lujan (John), Shawna Gomez (Jason) and Lori Ulibarri; his five great grandchildren, three great-great grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, February 16th, 2018 at Annunciation Catholic Church: 3621 Humboldt St. Denver, CO 80205 at 11:00 a.m.

Reception to follow at St. Charles Recreation Center: 3777 Lafayette St. Denver, CO 80205