Roland Howard Thornburg

Roland Howard Thornburg passed peacefully after a short illness on April 14th in Collier Hospice, Wheat Ridge, CO. Roland, also known as Thorny, was born in Johnstown, Colorado on July 11th to Maude and Clem Thornburg. Roland leaves behind a daughter, Janet, two Grandchildren, Douglas and Benjamin, four GreatGrandchildren, Skylar, Adam, Alexi, and I’Lia, two brothers, George and Tom, and many nieces and nephews. Roland was a graduate of Loveland High School and after serving in World War II in the Army Air Corps he returned to Colorado to get his Bachelor’s and Master’s at UNC under the GI BILL. In 1948 Roland married Betty Jean Hamilton on September 19th. Roland and Betty would have two children Janet Ruth ThornburgCornell of Arvada, CO, and Jeffery Neil Thornburg deceased. Roland taught at Loveland High in the 50s and eventually took a sales job with Allyn Bacon Corp that took his family to Lawrence, Kansas in 1960 where he and Betty would live for the next 47 years. During those 47 years Roland’s favorite pass time was golf. He spent many days playing the Alvamar Golf Course and eventually invested a small amount of money into this golf course. He and Betty would also spend a lot of their vacation time traveling to various parts of the United States and World to try out different golf courses. In 2007 Roland and Betty moved back to Colorado and settled in a new home in the Broomfield area. Roland is preceded in death by Betty who passed away September 3, 2013. There will be a celebration of Roland’s life held on June 10 from 4pm to 7pm at 7167 W. 83rd Way in Arvada, CO. Anyone who would like to celebrate Roland’s life is invited. Please sign this guestbook at Obituaries. LJWorld.com.