George Wickstrom Obituary

George Olaf Wickstrom was a native Coloradan born in Boulder, Colo. on June 18, 1937. He passed away on April 21, 2014, in Mesa, Ariz. He was the son of Alice and Arthur Wickstrom.

George attended school K-12 in Boulder and joined the Army in 1956 after graduation. He served in the military from 1956 to 1958 with service time in Japan.

He received both a bachelors and masters degree in education and spent 20 years as a teacher and school administrator. He especially enjoyed working with junior high age students, serving as principal of Cortez Junior High for 10 years. George also took joy in driving tour bus in the Colorado mountains for many years.

He married Lorraine Flatten in 1967 and had two sons, Scott and Craig who were born to them while living in Mason City, Iowa.

The family wanted to move back to Colorado and did so in 1974 when they moved to Durango and then to Cortez where they have resided since 1976.

He and Lorraine purchased Bru's House of Color, a business that perfectly suited their family, in 1986.

Upon retiring in 2000, they traveled extensively and he developed his love/hate relationship with golf.

Lake Powell was a favorite family destination for years.

He was always quick to be a friend in need and was a loving, generous husband, father, father-in-law, and grandfather.

He will be deeply missed.

Surviving George are his wife, Lorraine; sons, Scott and wife, Molly, and Craig and wife, Angela; grandchildren, Ryley, Calvan, River and Marshal; brother, Wendell and wife, Lynn Wickstrom; and sister, Shirley Abbott.

A viewing has been scheduled for Friday, April 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Ertel Memorial Chapel.

Funeral services will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church on Saturday, April 26 at 2 p.m. with graveside services to follow at Cortez Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Lutheran Preschool, P.O. Box 989, Cortez, Colo. 81321 or to the American Cancer Society of Durango, 1800 Third Avenue, Suite 101, Durango, Colo. 81301.

Services are under the direction of Ertel Funeral Home.

For further information or to send condolences, log on to www.ertelfuneralhome.com and click on the obituary section.