Elvin Dale Baer
Elvin died on April 28, 2024, he was in his sixties. He was preceded in death by both of his parents, Elvin and Mildred, his stepfather, Harvey, and his older sister, Donna as well as his stepbrother, Greg. He is survived by his beloved wife Paulie, his beloved brother Bill, sister Dianne, stepsister Christy, two beloved daughters, and many wonderful cousins, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews.
Elvin was born in Denver, Colorado and spent his childhood playing in the creeks and on the hills of west Denver, catching crawdads, riding his bike and always longing for the mountains. His older sister was a constant presence, and her husband, Tom, when he came into their lives, was his friend and fishing buddy for the next half of a century.
From the moment he could walk off into the woods, he was inclined to do so and spent many wonderful days climbing fourteeners, backpacking, and learning all of the plants of the landscape, their uses and their lore, and sharing this throughout his life with his friends, and their families.
He proudly served with the U.S. Marine Corps, and was honorably discharged.
He married, and loved raising his two daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth.
In 2002 he met Paulie Rainbow and they began their lives together in 2004. Together they backpacked the wildernesses, hosted friends, traveled, cooked and gardened together, and supported each other in their many and varied interests.
He worked his whole life in manufacturing, mastering every system and department in Temple Inland then happily switching to building hundreds of wind turbines for Vestas. His excellent work resulted in multiple trips to the company facilities in Denmark where he took the opportunity to enjoy museums, camp in the birch forest, and visit the Swedish port from which his ancestors had departed in their journey to the United States. On another trip he took in the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and paid respects to his fellow Marines by visiting Normandy Beach.
With his wife, Paulie, he toured Ireland, from the museums in Dublin to the ancient remains of Dun Aongus on the Aran Islands.
He studied the German language and flew to Europe again, to hike the Witches Trail in Germany in places where his new language skills charmed the hosts and people he met along the way.
He was best known for his loyalty, his sense of honor, and his engaging manner with all the people he met. On every hike he shared his knowledge of plants, animals, and landscapes. At every fire he shared stories and songs. His handcrafted gifts were received with delight.
He is gone too soon, and we are better for having had him in our lives.
In lieu of flowers, a donation to Food Bank of the Rockies would be lovely. Elvin was a consistent and generous supporter.
Elvin’s Celebration of Life
Thursday, May 30th at 1 pm
Mile Hi Church
9077 W Alameda Ave
Lakewood, CO 80226
Please join us for Elvin’s Celebration of Life in person or virtually - you can find the livestream at this link: https://www.milehichurch.org/memorials/
Make a Donation
In lieu of flowers, a donation to Food Bank of the Rockies would be lovely. Elvin was a consistent and generous supporter.
