Donald Dee Churches

March 5, 1943 - October 3, 2026

Don was born in Stratton Colorado to Leona Pearl Jones and Clarence Everett Churches. His mother Leona passed away on June 28, 1945, when Don was only 2 years old. He spent much of his early childhood living with his father in California, but at the age of 12, he returned to Stratton with his brother Harold to live with their aunt and uncle.

Don lived at the family homestead until the 10th grade, then moved into town where he lived with his English teacher and her husband, Lucile and Kenneth Lepper. After graduating from high school, he began working at the First National Bank of Stratton and later joined the Colorado National Guard.

In 1965, after attending boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, he was sent to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas for army medical training. It was at Fort Sam Houston where he would meet his future wife Jackie Lynn Winkler.

Don was scheduled to begin his 28-year career with the Colorado Department of Highways on April 18, 1966, but before his first day of work, Jackie informed him that she had a four-day weekend coming up and suggested they get married. On April 9, 1966, Don and Jackie were married in Delta, Colorado, with her parents serving as witnesses. What began as a spontaneous wedding turned into 60 wonderful years of marriage.

The following year, they welcomed their first child Cynthia Lynn, born on July 3, 1967. After moving to Grand Junction, Colorado, their family grew again with the birth of their son Kenneth William, on February 14, 1969.

Don spent most of his career with the Highway Department in the Maintenance section inspecting, repairing and maintaining bridges His work also included surveying, plowing snow, and finalizing documentation for highway construction projects. He retired from the Colorado Department of Transportation in 1994.

Following retirement, Don and Jackie moved to Texas, where they initially lived in a motor home on property they had purchased near Stockdale. They later moved to San Antonio and eventually settled in Corrigan. They enjoyed the warm climate, the slower pace, and the values of Southern living, but after being displaced by a tornado, they decided to return to Colorado to be closer to their son, Kenny.

Throughout his life, Don held tightly to his faith and treasured family. He had an appreciation for family history and genealogy. He contacted extended family that he found in his research and hosted a Churches Family Reunion. He then traveled to attend family reunions in other states, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. One of his favorite sayings was, “Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, Today is a gift from God and that’s why it is called the Present”.

Don was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in late 2024 and spent his remaining years facing the challenges of the disease. He passed away peacefully on October 3, 2026, under hospice care at a long-term care facility in Thornton, Colorado.

Don is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Jackie Churches (Winkler); his daughter, Cindy Vilander (Kris); his son, Kenny Churches (Chris); 10 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Leona Churches, and his brothers, Eugene and Harold.

Committal Service will be held on Monday, October 19, 2026 at 9:00am, at Fort Logan National Cemetery located at 3698 S Sheridan Blvd, Denver, CO., 80236 . Please arrive at Staging Area Blue at 8:45am in preparation for the committal at 9am.