- Date Of Birth: August 26, 1950
- Date Of Death: February 28, 2021
- State: Colorado
BILL’S STORY
George William Van Matre
Better known to Family and Friends as Billy or Bill.
Born August of 1950 in Trinidad, Colorado.
Passed away peacefully on
February 28, 2021 at Joni Fare Hospice House in Pueblo Colorado.
Bill is the son of George and Lucy (Barber) Van Matre of Pueblo West, Colorado. Bill loved and respected his Parents greatly.
His last good day at the hospital he kept asking how Mom and Dad were doing. I encouraged him by letting him know they were fine.
Bill’s Love of his Life; wife, and Best Friend of over 41 years Susan Van Matre (Worthen). Married February 14th, 1980. Yes that’s how Bill was. Combine two holidays into one. Bill and Sue lived in the mountains between Cotapaxi and Westcliffe.
Bill and Sue have a Son Billy Van Matre, and a Grandson Levi.
Billy resides in Pueblo Colorado.
Billy was their life and light. Then Levi came along about 4 years ago. Sorry Billy Levi soon became their focus. Billy and Levi, both filled Bill’s life with so much joy and inspiration.
I’m not saying Bill leaves behind anyone; because I feel he is still with all of us in Spirit and Soul. He will help watch over all of us but mostly he is there for Sue, Billy, and Levi.
Bill’s siblings are Sharon
&(Glenn Wooters) Linda &(Mel Green)
Bob aka Wayne &(Jane Van Matre).
He was the oldest so somewhat of an influence. Good or bad. Not saying!
We all have stories!
Bill always considered his brother in law’s and sister in law as his own siblings. He loved them dearly.
Bill loved and always had a wonderful time with all his Nieces and Nephews. Great Nieces and Nephews and Great Great Nieces and Nephews. He taught them a lot as well. I’m sure they have stories also.
Bill enjoyed so much being around his Aunt’s, Uncle’s, and many Cousins. Boy do they have stories.
Bill has many friends he has acquired throughout his life. They have stories and memories also.
Bill is preceded in death by his Grandparents Burce and Maude Van Matre, and Mable Barber, and Robert Johnson.
He always had fond and precious memories of his Grandparents.
Bill’s life was full of fun and adventure. From a young boy until his passing.
He grew up in Pueblo after the family moved here from Trinidad, Colorado, when his Dad started working at the Steel Mill.
That was always an adventure.
Bill had his driver’s license and a vehicle. Many Stories there also.
Bill graduated from Pueblo County High School in 1968. He was in 4-H club and FFA in which he had achieved and won many awards with his gardening and showing his FFA animals.
He then started College. As Glenn said he really had more fun on his mind than an education.
Bill decided to join the Navy in 1970.
He didn’t realize it at the time but that would eventually change my whole course of life also. He was blamed a few times for that. Mel added (“the family was so lucky”)
Bill was proud of his Military Career in the Navy and he excelled at that too. He advanced quickly and went from an E 1 to an E 6 during his career. He received many awards and lots of education while serving our Country. I remember how proud the Family was of him.
Bill received the Good Conduct Award. That kind of surprised us Siblings. We knew a different Bill.
Bill attended many Schools including Nuclear Power School and Nuclear Prototype. Also Submarine Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operation. He became Submarine qualified on all systems in Submarines. Bill was assigned to the USS Lewis and Clark. This was a Fleet Ballistic Nuclear Sub. He did several 60 day tours at sea. Silently patrolling our oceans.
After completing his tour of duty on the Lewis and Clark, he was transferred to the USS Silversides which was a Fast Attack Boat.
All the aspects of farm life.
He met the Love of his Life, Sue and they married on February 14th, 1980.
Bill went to work at Comanche Power Plant south of Pueblo where he would work for the next 30 years until he retired. Bill was a heavy equipment operator there moving, loading, and unloading coal to run the power plant. We feel this had a lot to do with the problem in his lungs that developed later in his life.
While still working at Comanche Bill and Sue bought the acreage near Westcliffe and put a home there and raised their family. Bill always felt he was living his dream as he had the many horses, dogs, ducks, rabbits, and many more animals.
Bill continued to drive from Westcliffe to Comanche everyday until he retired. He definitely thought the drive was worth the asset of living in the mountains.
In June of 2002 the Iron Mountain Fire hit them. It almost wiped them out.
Bill and Sue lost a lot of their horses and animals. Correls, barns, vehicles,and camp trailer were all burned. The house was spared.
Didn’t stop them. They cleaned up the pieces,and rebuilt. Bill and Sue were grateful and blessed that they were not injured and their lives were spared.
Bill always had a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone.
He was loved by all that knew him. Bill could be a little sarcastic and stubborn sometimes but he looked at Dad and said the nut usually doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Bill, with his Naval experience, decided to take the family out on his pontoon boat at the Pueblo Reservoir. These are relatively safe boats and with Bill as the Captain what could go wrong.
Well Sue was sitting on the bow of the ship ( that’s the front )
A big wave started coming. It hit the pontoon and it started nose diving and taking on water. Bill yells at Sue and tells her to get to the back of the boat. He hollars out “Sue your sinking the boat.” Being a pontoon it straightened up in the water when the wave subsided. “See it quit sinking when you come to the back” He thought that was pretty funny. I don’t think Sue thought so.
When you were with Bill you always knew you were going to have a fun time and would have stories to tell later.
Bill was the first one in the family to get the high tech devices. He made us all pictures and slide shows on DVDs and got the first video games. The kids thought he had invented them. They thought he was the smartest guy around.
Bill passed on to his eternal life at Hospice House. He is at peace and not in pain any longer.
His passing came kind of sudden to all of us. We feel complications from his lungs, started from his years of working at Comanche Power Plant.
Bill did not want the tubes and wires they had him on in ICU. He let them know it by constantly ripping them out. Bill remembered his helicopter ride on Flight for Life to the hospital and said that was pretty fascinating.
His room in the ICU was right next to the Flight for Life landing. The day he was alert he so enjoyed watching the helicopter come in and land.
We love you Bill and we know you are making stories in heaven now.
We are all Blessed and grateful for the time we had with you here.
We will all get to laugh and enjoy being with you again one-day.
Thank you for the memories and stories.
At Mel and Linda’s home in Pueblo West.
Sincere Thanks to Parkview Hospital ICU Staff for helping Bill as much as they could and all they did for him.
Sincere Thanks to Sangre De Cristo Hospice for your caring and thoughtfulness time with Bill.
Debbie, your thoughtfulness and compassion for us when we were there means so much to us.
And you even had a story!
Thank you to the Hospice Chaplain for performing the ceremony.
Written by Bill’s loving baby Sister Linda Green.
As sick as he was, He snickered and told the nurse in the hospital I was his baby brother.
