Koclanes, George Peter 8/16/1928 – 4/17/2020 George P. Koclanes was born August 16, 1928 in the town of Evanston, Illinois. He was the first of four children born to Greek immigrants Peter G. and Helen P. Koclanes. George died peacefully on April 17, 2020, at the age of 91, in Denver, Colorado, after being surrounded by his loving family.
When just a baby, George and his family moved to Denver, where he was raised and graduated from South High School. George received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado.
George married Carol Demis in 1960. He and Carol spent most of their married lives in Cherry Hills Village, CO raising, nurturing, and encouraging, through their unwavering love, three children, Peter (Jeanne), Dr. George (Veronica), and Ann, six grandchildren, Saiya and Illona (Ann), Isabella and Helena (George), and Caroline and George Andrew (Peter), and many nieces and nephews.
George was an aerospace engineer, whose wide-ranging career took him through work on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo manned-space programs, Skylab, and the space shuttle, as well as various classified and secret space-age projects. Following his career in aerospace, George continued to apply his engineering skills in a variety of other ways. As an engineer for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, George delighted countless fly-fishers when he designed a water recirculation system at Flaming Gorge Dam in Utah, which solved a serious problem of the world-class Green River trout fishery repeatedly dying-off as a result of the unsuitable temperature of the water flowing from the dam. Later, he was the Chief Environmental Officer at Buckley Air Force Base. George also was an accomplished Denver businessman, who focused on commercial as well as multi-residential real estate. George spent countless hours working on his businesses and loved discussing and debating the stock market, the economy, and global events. George passed down to his family his appreciation for all of these activities.
George was a solid man. He understood duty and responsibility, love and devotion, and generosity and selflessness. Along with his steadfast Greek Orthodox faith and Church, family was everything to George, and it was non-negotiable. Upon the death of his father in 1953, his mother Helen, George, and his brother and sisters John, Joan and Frances, all committed that each sibling would graduate college as a first-generation student. They made it happen despite their family’s modest means. Likewise, George and Carol were extremely dedicated to their own family. Even when their children were older adults with their own children, George would check-in regularly with each of them, making sure that all was fine and asking if they needed anything. Known affectionately as Dad, George, Uncle George, and Papou, he never missed his children’s and grandchildren’s countless sporting, music, theatre, and academic events, his family’s special occasions, weekend family dinners, and his personal delivery of large boxes of See’s candy to his beloved mother-in-law, Ann, until her death at 99 years-old. George and his immediate and extended family accomplished much together and shared great joy in his lifetime, and they have stayed close over all of these years.
George valued giving back to the community through his involvement in and contributions to the Greek Orthodox Church and the University of Colorado, among other things, and held a number of leadership positions in various organizations. George was a founder of the Peter G. and Helen P. Koclanes Scholarship Fund at the University of Colorado, an endowment that has provided tuition to deserving students for over 20 years. George and Carol were among the founding members of the Village Tennis, Riding and Swim Club, a place they considered special and where their family spent countless hours. He coached his children’s sports teams and often led their youth activities. Over the years, George mentored, provided opportunities for and befriended a number of loyal individuals who worked for him in his businesses.
George was preceded in death by his loving wife Carol, his parents Peter and Helen, his brother John (Helen) who he loved and respected throughout his life, his wonderful nephew Dr. Deno Pappas, his beautiful niece Christina Demis, and his in-laws Deno Pappas (Sondra), William Vasil (Joan), and George and Elaine Christy, each of whom was very important to him. George is survived by his children, grandchildren, sisters Joan Vasil (William+) and Frances Diones (Donald) who he loved and were always special to him, numerous nieces and nephews, and their families. George also leaves behind many close, terrific friends.
George and his robust passions for life, his faith and Church, family, education and knowledge, his Greek heritage, and for mankind, will be sorely missed. His focus on supporting the dream and ambition of his mother and father, to provide a better life for their children and grandchildren, and for those around them, will be carried forever in the hearts of his family and those who loved him.
A private Funeral Service for family will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2020 at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church, Greenwood Village, CO, and livestreamed at 11 am from the church’s website at www.stcatherinechurch.org.
In lieu of flowers, George’s family suggests contributions be made to the St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church Iconography Fund, 5555 South Yosemite Street, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, or to the Peter G. and Helen P. Koclanes Scholarship Fund at the University of Colorado, c/o University of Colorado Denver Financial Aid & Scholarships Office, Campus Box 125, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80204.
