Wendell Schweiger

Wendell was born on June 14, 1951, to Mary E. Newsome and Martin Schweiger. He was an only child and his formative years were lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. Wendell was raised by Mary, as a single mom along with the assistance of her mother and sister Marcella Wingate. Wendell had many fond memories of interactions with several cousins and family members. These modest and humble beginnings laid the foundation to his character and personality. Wendell and his mother moved to Denver, Colorado in June 1963. Wendell met Angie Sandoval through a community phone line during his junior year. Angie was immediately attracted to his deep blue eyes. After graduation, they became serious about their relationship and married on October 4, 1969. Their love produced their only son, Sean born on March 1, 1970. Although the marriage was short-lived, Wendell remained involved in his son’s life primarily on weekends. He realized the importance of being a good role model for his son. They shared countless memories attending sporting events, vacationing, critiquing local pizzerias (his favorite food) and interacting without distractions during many one-on-one meals. Wendell’s genuine personality and courage to not conform resulted in no shortage of friends. His dry sense of humor was prevalent throughout his life. Wendell had many interests, but his love for music was profound. Specifically, rock and roll and a genre later referred to as the “oldies”. Wendell’s passion for music resulted in his most prized possession, a collection exceeding 20,000 albums and records. Wendell had several jobs over the years many of which were in the transportation industry. He was a school bus driver, delivered Deep Rock water, drove a bus for Summit Stage, delivered medical supplies as a courier and most recently he transported fans for the National Western Stock Show and the Colorado Rockies. He also tried self-employment selling Cincinnati chili and other foods at various festivals and fairs across Colorado. Wendell was content as a single man and would often reminisce of his independence while living in Kremmling, Colorado. He enjoyed sitting by the fire sipping on some whiskey and listening to “oldies”. However, without hesitation, he relocated to Golden, Colorado in 2008 to care for his mother as her health regressed. Wendell’s conservative values became more evident with age and resulted in him becoming an advocate for individual rights and freedoms. He generously supported several organizations and charities. The last couple of years of his life, Wendell found much satisfaction and joy in volunteering at the Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden. He had an overwhelming love for dogs but didn’t own one because he couldn’t provide the love and attention they deserve while living in a condo and still working part-time. Wendell’s semi-retirement was cut short as his final days were met with the sudden onset of cancer. He passed peacefully without pain on January 18, 2019, only days after learning of his diagnosis. Wendell is survived by his son Sean, daughter-in-law Lea, grandson Jalen and granddaughter Janel. Wendell’s honest values, genuine personality, and unique characteristics distinguished his life and will be sorely missed by all those that loved him. Rest in peace, you are free.