Donald S Currie

Don was born on January 16, 1930 in Durango, Colorado to George Donald Currie and Janet Kathryn Scott Currie. He went to school at Allison through 3rd grade, then moved to Bayfield. The family lived in Bayfield and on the HuBar Dude Ranch which belonged to his grandfather, Hugh George Currie. An early pioneer family, he was accustomed to being outdoors and hard work. He spent his life working for the National Park System, ranching and related ranch “trades”.

In his teens, the family moved to Silver City, N.M. where Don finished his school years. At Age 14, he worked at his Uncle Fiske’s dairy and delivered milk around the area; including deliveries to the German prisoners of war at Fort Bayard, N.M. Following graduation from Silver City High School, he joined the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He loved his country and his opportunity to serve it.

Don married Charlotte Johnson, which resulted in divorce, but from this marriage came son Donald and twin daughters Janet and Julie. Don then met and married Barbara Lee Gardnier, together they had three children: Gary, Tina and Cathy. Barbara passed away in 1993. Alone again, Don then met and married Barbara Fenn Lebsack on December 10, 1994 in Longmont.

Don began his ranching career in the Four Corners area. He began working for the National Park, serving as a firefighter in Arizona wildfires. He would later work for National Park, including Bent Fort, near Las Animas, Colorado. He took various ranching jobs in the southwest and mountain states. His love for cattle, horses and caring for the land was special to him. He had worked for the Aristocrat Angus and Houston family for the past 20 years. While in Las Animas, Colorado he also opened a shoe and leather shop, where he became an expert at saddle making and ranching leather works, transferring those skills to Augusta, Kansas where he opened another shoe repair and leather shop.

Don was a talented fisherman, big game hunter, especially enjoying his time while working in the Grand Teton’s. A wonderful story teller, his easiest subject was to simply share the adventuresome and exciting life he had led.

Preceding him in death were his parents; special grandfather George Hugh Currie; son Donald; his brother James and a granddaughter Shayne Friday.

Surviving are his wife Barbara of Firestone; son Gary (Wilma) Currie of Arvada; ; Tina Currie of Gilbert, Arizona; Cathy (Earl) Avara of Byers, Colorado; Janet Buck of Odessa, Nebraska; Julia (Eugene) Gongaware of Havelock, North Carolina; step daughter Tracie (Ken) DeFeo of Hudson; step son Jim Lebsack of Thornton; 21 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren and his brother George Robert Currie and his wife Judy of Bella Vista, Arkansas.

A Celebration of Life will be held from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 16, 2014 at the Bella Rosa Restaurant, 5830 Bella Rosa Parkway, Frederick, CO. 80504

Contributions are requested to the Wounded Warriors Project, 1 S. Nevada Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO. 80903