Gerald Grant Belmear

Gerald Grant Belmear was born on November 16, 1925, in Dolores, Montezuma County, Colorado, the second son of Lucy Agnes Eaton and Willard Grant Belmear.  He was of southwestern Colorado pioneer stock. His family moved frequently between McElmo Canyon, Yellow Jacket, Cortez, Dolores, and Durango. Because of World War II, he left high school a semester early to join the Army Air Corps, and he served in Italy. (He received his diploma in the mail.) When he came home, he began his career as an auto mechanic at Miller Motors in Durango.  He married Mary Ellen Caughey on October 2, 1948, they had 5 girls: Verna Jo, Cheryl, Leah Rene, Laurie, and Patricia Lynn. In 1953, they moved to Denver and lived in the same house in for the next 64 years. Soon after Mary Ellen died in 2019, he and his daughter, Verna Jo, moved to Magna. After a long life of service to his family and his neighbors, he died March 28, 2023 at 97 years of age. He is survived by 23 grandchildren and 58 great grandchildren. 

Gerald was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ellen; his daughter, Leah Rene Maughan; his grandson, Brian Jacob Stone; and a son-in-law, Carl Marion Cardon.  He is survived by four daughters, Verna Jo Cardon of Magna, Utah; Cheryl (Jim) Leavitt of Annabella, Utah, Laurie (Roger) Stone of Rigby, Idaho; and Patricia Lynn (Bob) Smith of Manassa, Colorado; sister-in-law, Jan Belmear of Denver, Colorado; brother, William Leslie (Shirley) Belmear of Navarre, Florida; and brother-in-law, Robert Allen Caughey of Lakewood, Colorado.

A viewing will be held Saturday, April 1, 2023 from 3-3:30 p.m. followed by a funeral service at 3:30 p.m. at Peel Funeral Home, 8525 W. Magna Main St. Graveside services will be held Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at Crown Hill Cemetery, 7777 W. 29th Ave. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033.