Steven K. Bohlender

Steve Bohlender, 63, passed away Saturday October 11th at the UCHealth Greeley Hospital.

Steve was born in Fort Collins, CO on March 31, 1962, to Larry and Karen Bohlender. Steve grew up in Greeley, CO and worked summers on his grandparents' 160-acre farm south of Kersey. Steve played football at Greeley West High School before graduating in 1980 and attending the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was a founding member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity chapter. Steve earned a bachelor's degree in accounting at CU and became a CPA shortly after graduating in 1984, passing the exam on his first attempt.

He married Sheila Ann Mayes on June 2, 1984, and moved to Denver shortly thereafter to work for Deloitte, Haskins & Sells in their Denver office. He provided a variety of audit, tax, and consulting services to clients in many industries. Steve and Sheila then moved to Fort Collins in 1986, and Steve worked as a Senior Accountant for Kruchten & Company. While at Kruchten, Steve provided audit, tax, and management consulting services to customers, including the local school district. He assisted customers with developing business plans, forecasts, and obtaining bank financing for their companies. He also advised customers on the selection and implementation of accounting / payroll systems.

In July 1988, Steve accepted a position with his father's company, Computer Information Concepts, Inc. (CIC), where he would work for the rest of his life. Steve played a central role in the company's growth for the next 37 years, championing a culture of sales and service excellence. Under his leadership, CIC's school district business flourished, as Steve negotiated contracts with software vendors, maintained CIC's relationships with those vendors, and oversaw CIC's financial reporting. CIC's school district customer base grew from 25 customers in Colorado and Wyoming (in 1988) to over 600 customers in seven states as of 2025. CIC itself grew from 7 full-time employees in 1988 to over 70 in that time frame!

Steve became the CEO of CIC in 2022 and led the entire company for the last three and a half years. Steve was passionate about providing top-tier service to customers while also fostering a great workplace environment for employees. A lifelong learner, Steve was also an active member of Vistage and strived to always improve both personally and professionally.

Steve and Sheila have two sons, Dylan (born 1992) and Logan (born 1994). Although Steve was a football player himself, his kids chose to play hockey. Despite some initial reluctance, Steve embraced his role as a hockey dad and ultimately ended up coaching several of Dylan and Logan's competitive hockey teams (even though he would be the first to admit he couldn't skate!). Steve also loved to travel and visited over 30 countries. Some of his most special trips were when he took his sons to their study abroad programs, Dylan to Australia in 2012 and Logan to Sweden in 2014. Steve visited 49/50 states, including a month-long road trip across the US that he took with his parents as part of the US Bicentennial in 1976.

Steve is survived by his wife Sheila of Greeley, son and daughter-in-law Dylan and Katie Bohlender of Denver, son Logan of Denver, and mother Karen Gene of Greeley. Steve was preceded in death by his father, Larry.

A memorial service for Steve will be held Friday October 24th at the Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524. The service will begin at 11 AM and will be followed by a reception at the Agave Room (143 W Mountain Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524) beginning at 12 PM.