Father Donald C. Willette

Father Donald Corliss Willette entered eternal life on May 25, 2023. Born June 26, 1941, in Lemmon, South Dakota, Father Willette spent his youth on family farms in North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota before entering the seminary in 1958. Moved by the carnage of the Vietnam War, he left the seminary in 1967 to join the Air Force to serve in Vietnam. During his three tours, he worked as a ground radar operator; later, he worked for the Department of Defense in satellite surveillance and intelligence. He volunteered for hazardous duty and received two bronze star medals and multiple decorations for valor. After discharge, he moved to Estes Park where he enjoyed a career as a restaurateur and real estate agent. After surviving a near fatal car crash while driving to Denver from Estes Park, he felt called back to seminary. At St. Thomas Seminary in Denver he joined four other Vietnam veterans and was ordained a priest on June 2, 1984. Father Willette continued to serve in the Reserves for 15 years, including as Chaplain at Buckley Air Force Base, and retired as a full Colonel. “Father Don” was a beloved pastor and spiritual leader in the following parishes where he blessed countless lives: St. Thomas More, Centennial; St. Jude, Lakewood; St. Therese, Frederick; Guardian Angels, Mead; St. Louis, Louisville; Spirit of Peace, Longmont; and St. John XXIII, Fort Collins. He often said his most important work was helping people through significant parts of their lives. Especially meaningful to him was his work as a chaplain of Catholic campus ministry to Colorado State University. After his retirement in 2011, he continued to celebrate the sacraments at many churches throughout the Front Range. It was during his retirement that he approached CSU with his generous proposal. Through careful stewardship of his retirement funds and a “little bit of luck” in real estate, Father Willette provided nearly $1 million toward an endowment to establish the Fr. Don Willette Chair of Catholic Studies. With great humility he said, “My dream was to create a program where people of all faiths will have a safe space to explore their relationship to God and one another.” Father Willette was a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre; he led hundreds of people over the years on 33 pilgrimages to the Holy Lands. Father was proceeded in death by his father, Corliss Willette, mother, Marion Allen, and sister Mary Lou Baumhover. He is survived by his sister Marla Attwood of Pinewood Springs, Colorado. Vigil service and Mass will be livestreamed at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfTYqQ96sVNl3ED-UZFF0eA

Father Donald C. Willette

June 26, 1941 - May 25, 2023