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Obituary: Earl Glenwright

Earl Glenwright
Earl Glenwright
Provided Photo

July 7, 1933 – February 15, 2022

Earl, son of Earl Thomas Glenwright and Violet Spring Glenwright, passed away peacefully in Eagle, Colorado at Castle Peak Senior Living Center. He was 88, and is survived by his wife of 62 years, Stephanie Louise Hicking Glenwright, and his four children: Theodore of Sausalito, Thomas of Palo Alto, Tristan, and his wife, Dianne of Half Moon Bay, and Tasha of Flagstaff and Phoenix. He leaves eight grandchildren Matthew, Nicole, Jacqueline, Kara, Cole, Charles, Adelaide, and Stefan, along with a sister Nancy Marion Murphy, in California.

Earl was born in 1933 in Abington, Pennsylvania and he graduated from Germantown High School. He went on to Penn State in 1952 where he was treasurer of Pi Kappa Psi Fraternity and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. Having completed ROTC there, he entered the Air Force and served for five years as a navigator flying with the Military Air Transportation Service (MATS) out of McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. He said he had the best job in the Air Force as he was able to fly to Paris on the weekends. Earl continued with the Air Force Reserves for 15 years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. He loved being a navigator and recounting to family and friends his many stories of flying over the Atlantic.

He married his beloved wife Stephanie in 1960. After honeymooning in Europe, the couple moved to Casper, Wyoming where Earl began work in water resource management at the Bureau of Reclamation. His first two children, twins, Ted and Tom, were born in Casper. Then, the family moved on to Denver where Tristan and Tasha were born. In the midst of fathering four young children, Earl attended evening classes to earn his MBA degree from University of Colorado.

Earl’s life was full of adventures, in his home country and overseas, and he was proud to share all of these adventures with his family. Together, Earl, Stephanie, and their children traveled from Washington D.C., to Rio de Janeiro, to Sudan, and Saudi Arabia, spending years in each place and making lifelong friends along the way. Eventually, they made their way back to the U.S., settling down in Colorado where they consolidated 17 rentals into a condo in Beaver Creek. In Colorado, they were able to build a beautiful home in Eagle which often served as a gathering place for family. Earl’s career was impressive, as he served on many committees and wrote several published works on construction scheduling during his lifetime.

Even after retiring, Earl remained an active citizen of his community, ardently participating in construction projects for Habitat for Humanity and providing his freelance consulting services for the State Department Embassy compound. Earl also continued his overseas adventures, with travels to Gabon and Sophia, Bulgaria. He fell in love with this beautiful country and its enterprising people, purchasing ski properties in Bansko and immersing himself in the country for five years.

In his later years, Earl was handicapped with a long-standing heart condition. However, despite using a walker and being on oxygen, he made the trek over to his exercise club almost daily, where he was an inspiration to all and where he had his beloved cappuccino afterwards. He will be remembered for his wit and jokes, his patriotism, his strong work ethic and ability to get things done on time, and his love for reading mysteries and playing poker. He was most proud of the homes he built, his four children and many grandchildren, and the long life he was able to enjoy.

A military ceremony is planned at the Eagle Sunset View Cemetery followed by a celebration of life for later in June.

Donations in his memory can be sent to Habitat for Humanity at habitatvailvalley.org or calling 970-328-1119.


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