Eric Sims, Sr.

Eric Sims Sr., 70, a good dad, a wise mentor and kind soul, passed away Thursday, July 28, 2005. Eric was generous with his time, talents and money - he gave to every charity that came calling, donated to every cause he thought worthy and volunteered on many campaigns. Although conventional wisdom suggested people should not discuss politics or religion, those were the subjects Eric liked to explore and debate most. Eric always had a book in his hand, and no topic went unnoticed - politics, evolutionary biology or Martin Amis. With Eric, the conversation could move from the next Supreme Court nominee to NASCAR to the next Stones concert. He loved being involved in and living the moment, issues and events of the day. He never missed a movie - no matter how good or bad. When not solving the world's problems or giving a homeless man a dollar, Eric loved pursuing his second career of photography, capturing every aspect of life, from the tiniest creatures to the biggest moose. His specialty was flowers. Yellow was his color. Eric respected all living creatures, so much so that he could not even kill a few ants that happened to crawl into his home. We loved his frequent e-mails. Eric was born to James S. and Gwendolyn Sims on June 11, 1935, in Castle Rock. Eric grew up in Blackfoot, Idaho, where he graduated from high school. According to many, while a good kid, Eric did enjoy fast cars that he modified to be loud enough to rattle windows, fray nerves and irritate authorities. After high school, Eric joined the Navy, where he served in the latter part of the Korean War. After leaving the Navy, Eric graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Utah and went to work for Kodak in Rochester, N.Y., and later in Windsor. After retiring from Kodak, Eric went to work for the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder. Eric is survived by his wonderful companion, Eleanor Barr; brothers, Allen and Cort; daughters, Tina, Tirena, Tanya and Danielle; sons, James, Eric Jr. and Bryant; and stepchildren, Julie and James. Visitation will be from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Bohlender Funeral Chapel. A service for Eric will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the chapel. Yellow attire is encouraged. Interment with military honors by the Fort Collins All Veterans Honor Guard will follow at Grandview Cemetery.