Gary Gordon Peschel

Gary Gordon Peschel, 88, of Longmont, CO, died January 21, 2026, with his wife and his sister by his side. He was born November 6, 1937, in San Francisco, CA, to Horst and Ruby Peschel. Gary was the oldest boy in a family of seven children. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Iris, and brother James. He is survived by Mhari, his beloved wife of 50 years, who was his business partner and best friend. He is also survived by his sisters Chris and Cynthia, brothers Ken (Louise), Dale (Margaret), and many nieces and nephews both in the U.S. and Germany.

Gary began working in his family’s restaurant at an early age and later put himself through college working as a typesetter. This developed in him a strong work ethic and gave him a lifelong respect for and kindness toward anyone who worked hard to make their way in the world. Gary graduated from the University of California in Berkley and came to Colorado in 1962 to attend graduate school in chemistry at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Colorado was a natural landing place for Gary as he loved to fly, ski, hunt, and fish.

Gary stayed in Colorado and combined his passions with his entrepreneurial spirit to start an airplane brokerage business. He also bought, sold, and managed rental properties and farms and mastered everything from replacing light fixtures to repairing irrigation pivots to building his own airplane.

Gary met his wife Mhari in Boulder, and they were married in 1976 in Manitou Springs. They had a wonderful life together that led them to commercial salmon fish in Alaska for 20 years, guide elk hunts in Colorado from their lodge in North Park, and fly across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico delivering airplanes.

In the early 1990’s Gary and Mhari got their first Field Trial English Springer Spaniel, a hunting breed Gary had always admired. Over the next 35 years, they would go on to own, breed, train and compete in field trials in the U.S. and Canada with dozens of dogs. To be one of Gary’s dogs was to be immensely loved—and often fed surreptitiously from the table. Gary was also an accomplished sports shooter and a gifted pianist. He loved classical music and faithfully supported the Boulder Philharmonic. He was a generous supporter of many causes and organizations, among them Warriors on Cataract, the Denver Rescue Mission, Longmont Meals on Wheels, the Weld County Food Bank, and the Special Olympics.

Gary and Mhari’s home was always filled with friends and members of the field trialing community, and their table was open to all. A man of strongly held and freely shared opinions, Gary was nonetheless a true gentleman.

A Celebration of Life is being planned for spring. Donations in Gary’s remembrance may be made to the English Springer Spaniel Foundation [englishspringerfoundation.org].