Frank Mayer Obituary

Frank Mayer died peacefully on July 15, 2015, in Colorado Springs, surrounded by his family.

He is survived by his wife, Claudette; his seven children,

Kathleen Mayer and her husband, Ben Letterhos, of Denver; Kimberly Mayer Simpson and her husband, Kevin, of Parker; Kevin Mayer, of Colorado Springs; Kurt Mayer, of Providence, R.I.; Kyle Bartolo and her husband, Mike, of Rocky Ford;

Bridget Lyman and her husband, Ted, of Los Alamos, N.M.; Adam Mayer and his wife, Robyn, of Denver; a nephew,

Michael Sutherland, of Centennial; and seven grandchildren: Colin, Zachary, Andrew, Samantha, Henry, Jackson and Rose. He is preceded in death by his parents, Aurelia Evans Mayer and Karl Leonard Mayer, and his first wife, Jean Wibel Mayer.

Frank was born in Denver, Colorado on April 29, 1929. He attended Blessed Sacrament Catholic School and Regis High School, and he graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1951 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He served as a lieutenant in the Air Force from 1951-1953, working on development of the ramjet engine at Wright-

Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. He enjoyed a wide-ranging career as an engineer specializing in thermodynamics, working on projects ranging from the manufacture of heat-shielding porcelain for aeronautical use to development of a prototype driverless rapid-transit system.

Frank cast off the corporate yoke and bought the Western Hills Motor Hotel and the Dutch Oven restaurant on South Nevada Avenue in 1971, moving his family from Denver to Colorado Springs. For the next five years, the Mayers managed and worked in the businesses, a memorably educational experience filled with characters whose stories the family still relate.

Frank lived an exciting and fulfilling life, racing cars and piloting hot air balloons in his free time. He took his family on countless camping trips and had a longstanding love of the open road, especially when it went through the mountains or into the Southwest. He enjoyed working with wood and crafted several projects for his children and grandchildren. He was a dog lover and always happy to be around one of his

Newfoundlands. He will be dearly missed.

There will be a visitation at Swan-Law at 501 N. Cascade, Monday, July 20 from 5:00-7:00 PM. Funeral services will be held at St. Paul Catholic Church at 9 El Pomar Rd., Tuesday, July 21 at 10:00 AM.

Memorial donations may be made to:

Flight For Life Colorado, St. Anthony Health Foundation, 11600 W. 2nd Place, Lakewood, CO 80228; OR, Safe Place for Pets, PO Box 38202, Colorado Springs, CO 80937