Obituary of James Howard Disney

It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Jim Disney passed away on November 22, at age 82, after a long battle with cancer. His resilience, spirit and unfettered optimism throughout the fight was truly inspirational. Jim led a life fueled by passion and curiosity. He had a deep love of nature that began as a young child, exploring the expanses of Pipers Meadow above the family’s home in Glen Haven. That passion for exploration would lead him on adventures far and wide, on rocky crags, high alpine mountains, and deep desert canyons. In addition to climbing all Colorado’s 14,000 ft. peaks, he was also proud to have climbed Denali, the highest peak in the United States at 20,320 ft. Above all he loved Rocky Mountain National Park and spent a lifetime getting to know every square inch of it. He made it a point to visit each of the 130 named summits in RMNP at least one time; many mountains he climbed on multiple occasions. Of those, Longs Peak was his favorite. It was a mountain he would climb 93 times in his life. Jim’s love of nature is reflected in the many pieces of art he created throughout his sixty year career. He will be most remembered for his mountain landscapes, or as he would call them, "portraits of old friends.” Many of his paintings can be found hanging in homes, in galleries and museums throughout the country. He loved to "push paint around” and did just that up to the very last day of his life. He believed that he had a responsibility to be politically involved and to lend his support to causes he believed in. He was an early and vocal supporter of the environmental movement in the late 60’s, and he dedicated much time and effort to various campaigns of candidates he believed in. In 1992 Jim ran for and was elected to the first of two terms as Larimer County Commissioner, where he served eight very productive years in office. He was particularly proud of his time as Commissioner and treasured his experiences and the friends he made during his tenure there. It was a good life filled with great experiences, fascinating people, and all manner of adventures and misadventures. It was a life that touched many people in many different ways. For those of us lucky enough to share even a small amount of time with him, our lives will be forever enriched. Born to parents Wayne Disney and Wanda (Riney) Disney, July 6, 1939 in Loveland, Colorado. Survived by partner Marianne Tucker; brother, Gary Disney; sister, Jane St.Germain Cahn; son and daughter-in-law, David and Linda Disney; grandson Joshua; son and daughter-in-law, Bill Masslich and Penny Trinca, and their sons Zane and Jacob; niece, Catherine St.Germain; nephews, Daniel St. Germain and Tom Disney. Preceded in death by parents Wayne and Wanda, and by daughter, Rhonda Masslich. Memorial service Friday, 6:00pm at Viegut Funeral Home with a reception following at Viegut Reception Center. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Rocky Mountain Conservancy https://rmconservancy.org/join-or-give/donate/