Wesley Metzler Obituary

Wesley V. Metzler, beloved by creatures great and small, passed from this life, enfolded in the love of his family January 12, 2013. Wes was born to WM and Winifred A. Metzler April 27, 1939 at Glockner (Penrose) Hospital. His early years were spent in Colorado Springs where he attended Ivywild Elementary, South Junior and Cheyenne Mt High School. Upon graduation he attended Colorado State University for one year where he pledged Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. He transferred to Arizona State University the next year and was the founding president of the fraternity at ASU. In this position he was honored to initiate his father WM as an SAE brother. After graduation from ASU with a degree in Construction Engineering, he moved to De Beque, CO to oversee his father's ranch. As a result of on-the-job training treating the cow/calf operation, he found his lifetime passion of working with animals. After marriage to Beverly Seefeldt of Colorado Springs, he attended Colorado State University earning an MS in Animal Nutrition and the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Wade Michael Metzler was born in Ft. Collins, Co March 20, 1968. Following graduation in 1972, the family moved to Estes Park where Wes was the first full time veterinarian. He treated everything from hummingbirds to elk and was called the James Harriot of that Rocky Mountain community. He and his wife built an award winning boarding kennel and jointly received the Humanitarian Award for Larimer County. During the Estes years, he was a leader in the community serving as president of the Estes Park School Board Rocky Mt. Metropolitan Recreation District, Roof Top Riders & Rodeo Committee and Rotary Club. September 22, 1990 he married Sharol Henderson in Colorado Springs. For several years he worked at Brown Veterinary Hospital. In 1993 he was hired as the Executive Director of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak region. During the next 17 years he established an excellent relationship between the local veterinary community and the animal shelter. Wes worked diligently toward public-private partnerships with the City of Colorado Springs and the City of Pueblo resulting in state of the art new shelters for both communities. Upon his retirement in 2010 the new Surgery Center at the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region was named in his Honor. Wes was a member of Winter Night Club, Broadmoor Rotary Club, Colorado Springs Executives Assn., Broadmoor Waltz Club, the El Paso Club, Rocky Mt. Roosters, Colorado Springs Fly Casting Club and the Broadmoor Community Church. He is survived and will be greatly missed by his wife Sharol; his son Wade (Patty) and their children Rachael and Weston of Lafayette, Colorado; one sister Margo Yunker (Don) of Westlake Village, CA; stepsons Mark Henderson and his son Zach of San Clemente, CA; Mark Henson of Stateline, NV; Patrick Henderson of Gardnerville, NV; niece Annie Marshall (Garry) of Houston; nephew Christopher Yunker (Julie) of San Diego; brother-in-law Errol Rowland (Edie) of Aurora, CO; maternal aunt Bernice Brenner of Colorado Springs; eight cousins and their families; as well as numerous other members of Sharol's family. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 10 AM at Broadmoor Community Church, 315 Lake Ave, followed by inurnment in The Glen and a reception in Otto Hall. Donations may be made to PCCCF/Wesley V. Metzler, DVM Fund in partnership with Pikes Peak Community Foundation and the Humane Society of Pikes Peak Region, 730 N. Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, as well as to Broadmoor Community Church, 315 Lake Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.