Ed Gravelle

February 6, 1923 - May 31, 2014 Ed, a Colorado native, born and raised in Denver, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2014 at the Collier Hospice Center with his loving family present. An avid skier and cyclist, Ed enjoyed an active lifestyle throughout his life. He met his loving wife of 55 years, Joanne, while skiing at Winter Park. He was an active member of the Matawaken Ski Club in the 1950s through 1960s. Winter Park remained a cherished area throughout his life and continues to be important to our family. Later in life, he became an active cyclist and member of a local bicycling club. Members of the club marveled at his ability, and worked to keep pace. Ed was a talented painter. Several of his pieces are proudly displayed throughout his home and his family's homes. He loved the Colorado lifestyle, finding any opportunity to camp, fish, motorcycle, travel, or simply enjoy the splendor of our magnificent state. Ed proudly served our country in World War II, entering the Army in February 1943. After 3 years of service in the Signal Corps, he was honorably discharged in March 1946. Following his military service, he completed a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado and became a member of the design engineering team with North American Aviation. With a desire to return to Colorado, he took a position at Sundstrand Corporation in Denver and ultimately Arvada. After 33 years of service, he retired as the chief design engineer, with 5 patents to his credit, in February 1988. Beyond his formal work as an engineer, Ed was passionate about design and construction projects around the home; either his or anyone else's. He was constantly working to improve or fix any number of flaws throughout his family's homes. To no one's surprise, he was the design architect for his home in Arvada, including the addition of a large elevated deck. Ed is survived by his wife Joanne, son Steve and his wife Robin, son Chuck, daughter Lori and her husband Tim, granddaughters Christine and Jessica, and a large group of cherished friends. The family is pursuing the possibility of donating a memorial bench to be placed along the Fraser River Trail in Winter Park. For those who wish, in lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Ed's name toward this goal. If interested, please contact 1st Bank of Colorado, attention Ed Gravelle Memorial Fund. Additionally, our family would like to express our deepest gratitude to the staff of Collier Hospice Center for their wonderful care during Ed's final days. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, June 10, 2014 at 11:00 am at Crossroads Chapel (9901 W. 50th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO) with a reception to follow.