Alan Carl Morganfield

Alan’s life began February 28, 1944, in Denver, Colorado, as the firstborn child to Albert Rudolph Morganfield and Margaret Agnes Olsen Morganfield. Growing up, he enjoyed bike riding, and playing basketball and Little League baseball. Family time was particularly important, be it camping and fishing trips with his parents and his brothers Steve and Jim, or Sunday picnics with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. He became interested in building and racing cars after graduating from Lakewood High School in 1962. His pride and joy was a blue ’57 Chevy he completely rebuilt on his own, from the upholstery to the Corvette engine.

Alan earned multiple degrees and honors after high school. He graduated with associate degrees from both Mesa College and Metropolitan State College of Denver, and later went on to earn a Bachelors of Science from MSCD. In 1967, he began his long career with Public Service/Xcel Energy, and became a professional Land Surveyor in 1974. Alan joined the International Right of Way Association in 1971, where he served as President of the Denver chapter before going on to serve as Vice Chair and Chair of Region 9, as well as serving on multiple committees at the international and local levels. He earned the professional designation of Senior Right of Way Agent (SR/WA) in 1984 and also taught educational classes for the IRWA all over the country. He was awarded Professional of the Year for Region 9 in 2002, and was a finalist for Professional of the Year at the international level that same year. He also received the Mark A. Green Award as co-author of the article “Zigs and Zags of Legal Descriptions, Part 1” in the January/February 2008 issue of Right of Way Magazine. In 2015, he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from Denver Chapter 6, which is named for him.

In 1964, Alan met Dixie Albert and they married December 3, 1966. In the years to come, their family would expand to include three sons, and five grandchildren. He passed on his passion for camping, fishing, and cars to his sons Jeff, Brian and Jason. The family took many memorable vacations to National Parks such as Yellowstone, Glacier, Mount Rushmore, and Grand Canyon, but their favorite trips were to the Yampa Valley right here in Colorado, where Alan taught the boys to fish. He helped his sons rebuild and restore multiple classic Camaros, and they continue to benefit from the lessons he taught them about car maintenance and repair. He always had time to support their sports interests, whether it was Brian and Jason’s soccer, basketball and baseball games, or traveling all over Colorado to watch Jeff play in his college basketball games; later he was a fixture at his grandkids’ sporting and musical events.

One of the most important things Alan shared with his sons was his time in the Boy Scouts of America. As a child, Alan was in Cub Scouts and earned his Arrow of Light, and while he never reached the rank of Eagle Scout himself, as a Scout Master he saw his own three sons achieve this highest honor under his guidance. He served as a leader in Boy Scouts for twenty-eight years, and he taught many young men important life skills to carry them through adulthood. He spent many summers with Troop 505 at the local Boy Scout camps, such as Philmont, Chris Dobbins, and Camp Alexander.

In December of 2016, Alan and Dixie celebrated 50 years of happy marriage together. They enjoyed spending time with their children’s families, be it attending their grandsons’ baseball or soccer games, or their granddaughters’ basketball games or dance recitals. Every summer they spend the holidays at Spruce Lake Campground in Estes Park, and they both loved visiting Rocky Mountain National Park in search of elk, moose, and the always elusive bighorn sheep. They always traveled together for Alan’s IRWA seminars and made sure to leave enough time for sightseeing. Hawaii was a particularly special vacation destination; they visited there four times over those fifty years.

Every September, Alan would gather with his best friends and spend a week or two out in the wilderness bow hunting for elk and deer. He’s remembered by his friends as a relentless outdoorsman with infinite patience on the hunt, and though they rarely came home with a trophy, Alan considered those hunting trips with his friends and family to be some of the best times in his life.

Alan enjoyed watching many of the local professional sports teams, but he especially loved the Denver Broncos. He was a loyal fan all of his life and he braved many freezing days to watch his team in person with his brothers.

Additionally, Alan inherited his father’s interest in the art of stain glass, and used his father’s tools to make the many creations that adorn his and Dixie’s home. Also, he crafted the stained glass Eagle Scout emblem on the podium used to award Scouting’s highest rank for Troop 505.

Alan moved on from this world on July 20th, 2018 after a brief battle with Leukemia. In addition to his two brothers, he is survived by his wife Dixie Albert Morganfield, their children Jeffrey (Traci), Brian (Cory), and Jason (Jill), his five grandchildren, Dana, Gaaron, Aidan, Connor, and Ashlyn, three nieces and two nephews, as well as numerous great-nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made in Alan’s name to the Boy Scouts of American Denver Area Council, online or at 10455 West 6th Ave., Suite 100, Denver, CO 80215, or to another charity of your choice.