Leroy Edwin Waag

Lifetime Larimer County resident, LeRoy Edwin Waag, passed away January 8, 2016 at Medical Center of the Rockies. LeRoy was active until the last few days of his life, living as he had for eighty four years, actively participating in the family farming operation.

LeRoy was born on the family farm located at the southeast corner of Prospect and Shields in Ft. Collins to Paul and Lena Waag on July 14, 1931. In 1942, they moved to the farm on County Road 48, east of Ft. Collins, which is still farmed by his son and grandsons. He graduated from Ft. Collins High School at age sixteen. He married Virginia "Elaine" Johnson March 18, 1952 and they moved to Oceanside, California where he served in the US Marine Corp during the Korean War and deployed to Japan.

After being discharged from the Marine Corp LeRoy and Elaine moved to the family farm on County Road 5, where he continued his agricultural career for over fifty years. He raised sugar beets, Coors malting barley, corn, alfalfa, beans and cucumbers. LeRoy also fed cattle and sheep, and never missed a "Monday Morning Meeting at the Headgate".

LeRoy was on the Board of Directors for the Water Supply and Storage Ditch Company for thirty years. He was always diligent in meeting preparation, had an amazing memory for detail, and often shared humorous stories.

He won numerous "High Ten", "Top Producer", and "Presidents Quality Club" awards from The Great Western Sugar Company in his sixty years of growing sugar beets. He took great pride in raising Moravian barley for Coors. LeRoy was awarded a silver belt buckle for "High Producer of the Year". He was also a Larimer County Farm Bureau member for sixty-one years.

LeRoy's special interests and hobbies were golf, bowling, traveling, playing cards, reading newspapers and books, classic country music, RFD TV, and especially "Molly B Polka." He also attended the farm show every year, unless he was traveling. He enjoyed his pool table and challenging his children and grandchildren to a game. At the age of eighty, he went whitewater rafting on the Poudre River.

In September 2012, LeRoy traveled to Washington DC with the Northern Colorado Honor Flight. He considered it a great honor and enjoyed the trip immensely.

LeRoy was preceded in death by his beloved wife of fifty-nine years, Elaine, in 2011. He was also preceded in death by his brothers, Harold and Clifford Waag, his sister, Lorene Rader, and great-grandson, Tyler Zimmerman.

Survivors include daughters Cheryl Zimmerman and Sue Waag, and son, Darrell Waag. LeRoy has eight grandchildren: Matt Zimmerman (Tracey), Alexander Waag, Dustin Waag (Jennifer), Nicholas and Jessica Zimmerman, Katlyn Boling (Colby), Garrett Waag, and Kolter Herkstroeter. He also has four great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his caregiver, Micki Sutton, and sister in law, Lou Waag.

LeRoy was an incredible person, husband, father, friend, grandfather, and great grandfather who will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Memorial contributions can be made to Northern Colorado Honor Flight or American Cancer Society in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive St., Ft. Collins, CO 80524.

A Memorial Service with Military Honors by the Fort Collins All Veterans Honor Guard will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday at Bohlender Funeral Chapel.