William Murrow

Bill Murrow, age 76 of Fort Collins, Colorado, died Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at the Rehabilitation and Nursing Center of the Rockies in Fort Collins. A celebration of his life will be held Thursday, December 29th 11:00am at Foothills Unitarian Church, 1815 Yorktown Ave., Fort Collins, followed by a reception immediately afterwards. On Friday, December 30th at 1:00 pm a military service with full honors will be held at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Staging area A. William Dean Murrow was born October 21, 1935 in a sod house in rural Yuma County, Colorado to William and Lola the oldest of seven children. Since his grandmother was a teacher, and she instilled in him a lifelong interest in everything, he read the newspaper cover to cover everyday of his life until he died. He served in the U. S. Air Force during the Korean War, and following his discharge, attended the University of Northern Colorado. He lived formerly in Sterling, CO and has lived in Fort Collins permanently since 1973. Bill's first marriage was to Peg Scheid and his second marriage was to Diana Roblin, then to Elinor "Ellie" Brandhorst on April 1, 1981 in Las Vegas. He worked as a Job Counselor with the Colorado Employment Service, originally in Sterling and was later transferred to Fort Collins. With the Fort Collins Job Service, he organized and instituted the computer software system throughout the state. He founded the Area Office on Aging and was a long-time advocate for seniors. A fiercely humble man, he preferred it not be pointed out, but it is certain that many seniors have benefited by Bill's advocacy for them. In 1983, Bill retired from the Job Service and went into real estate sales. He was a member of the Moose Lodge and enjoyed reading and making friends. He was best known for his willingness to exceed expectations by always giving two or three times more than he promised. Bill is survived by his wife Ellie; three children, Bret (Jan) of Bellvue, CO, Allen (Michelle) of Greeley, CO and Rhonda (Robert) Ramsay of Sandpoint, Idaho; two step children, Jon (Cheri) Brandhorst of Bellvue, CO and Sherri Stock of Greeley, CO; four sisters, Betty, Donna, Jean and Jane; one brother, Robert; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. His parents, one brother, Don, and one granddaughter, Sarah, preceded Bill in death. The family requests that any memorial donations please be made to the Bill Murrow Memorial Fund in care of Goes Funeral Care, 3665 Canal Dr. Suite E, Fort Collins, CO 80524.