Gary Joseph Kraudelt

GARY JOSEPH (JOE) KRAUDELT

Joe Kraudelt passed away unexpectedly on 7-13-24 of a heart attack at his home in Lake Gorge, Colorado.  Joe was 72 at the time of his death.

He was born on 12-3-51 in Michigan to Laverne and Alberta Kraudelt.  Joe was committed to a life of service.  He grew up in Michigan and then joined the Army, became an MP and served time in Vietnam.  He was then assigned to Fort Carson in Colorado, fell in love with the state and has lived here since the70s.  Joe attended UCCS in Colorado Springs and obtained his Master's in Criminal Justice in Lansing,  Michigan.  He worked at the Department of Corrections for a short time and then became a probation officer for the 4th Judicial District in Colorado.  At the time of his retirement in 2002 he was a supervisor in that department.

Joe was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting hiking motorcycle riding and many other activities.  Joe never found a person he couldn't talk to.  He touched countless lives through his thoughtfulness and volunteerism.  He started volunteering with the Division of Wildlife (now known as Colorado Parks and Wildlife) over 30 years ago and participated in Bighorn Sheep counts on Pikes Peak, capturing of Bighorn Sheep to tag them and take blood for testing.  After retirement he joined the Bear Aware Team in Teller County and has been doing that for the last 20 years, educating people how to live with bears.  He also did transporting of injured animals to rehabilitation facilities which have included baby bears, hawks, eagles, fawns and many more.

While Joe was dealing with a number of health-related ailments over the last several years, he continued to serve his community, stayed active and enjoyed his time with friends and family.  Joe is survived by his spouse, Sherry; his daughter, Wendy(Tripper) Gott; Step-daughter, Tammy(Ben) Howard.  He is also survived by his grandchildren, Lily Gott, Hays Gott, and Seth Howard; and one great-grandchild Oliver; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and friends in the hundreds.  He also left behind his beloved dogs, Gus, Willow and Daisy  He was pre-deceased by his parents, Laverne and Alberta, and his sister, Judy, and many other pets in his life.

Joe’s Celebration of Life will be held on September 14, 2024 from 2-5 p.m. at the Ute Pass Cultural Center at 210 East Midland, Woodland Park, Colorado.

Please, no flowers as they wilt and die.  We would be honored if you would make a donation instead in Joe's name to Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation, 743 Crestview Drive, Florence, CO  81226.  This is a place that Joe took a lot of the injured animals he rescued and it was very dear to his heart.

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