Obituary of Robert M. Ferriter

Robert M. Ferriter, 67, died June 25, 2019 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.He was born October 20, 1951 to Robert Eugene and Mary Elizabeth (Linger) Ferriter in San Diego, California.Robert was a larger than life, colorful character who explored the possibilities of life in 20th century America.� He was a poet; a founding father of the Denver poetry revival, and a musician who sang and played bass for decades.� He was a skilled mechanic who could engineer a solution for a disabled vehicle using only a tiny budget and his own creativity.� He was an intellectual; a student throughout his life, first at Littleton High School, and later at Metro State University and Colorado State University at Pueblo.� He worked a dozen jobs, some of his fondest memories were as a roughneck in the Texas oil fields.� In the end he found the freedom to live his life without the constraints of personal authority or an unnecessary schedule through his own entrepreneurship.� As a small businessman he bought and sold thousands of cars for profit.� Robert's innate gift for making deals combined with his deep work ethic allowed him to seemingly create money out of thin air.�� He was a man of action who explored our country and traveled to Mexico and Canada.� Saying he traveled doesn't really do justice to his adventures. One of his milder tales involves him being banned for life from Canada.� If you should happen to see a Mountie let them know that Canada no longer has anything to fear from Robert.� He was a connoisseur of the music of his generation.� He saw Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Stevie Ray Vaughn as live performers, and he could tell stories late into the night about Woodstock, Monterey, and Haight Ashbury.��� Robert was a life long romantic, who refused to settle in his quest for true love.� In the end he chose Ellen as his companion and spent his last years enjoying a peaceful and wholesome personal life.� He had a true sense of compassion for the people he met and was a loyal friend to an engaging cast of characters.� His compassion was real, he offered a hand up to struggling people, not from a political distance, but in a personal and immediate way.� He understood better than most of us the pitfalls of our world, and rather than showing judgment or contempt towards those born with bad luck or scarred by the difficulties of life, he was generous and kind. � �Late in life our father turned his intellectual acuity and personal charm to the area of politics.� He loved his adopted town of Boone and recognized the increasing challenge that the community faced in rural America.� He was elected and reelected as mayor and he became a tireless and effective advocate for the western part of Pueblo County.� He maintained a connection to the idealism of his youth by occasionally traveling to rainbow gatherings over the decades, and his spirit as a free roaming biker found outlet by supporting the American Legion in their fundraising efforts for veterans.Robert was proud of his family.� He respected his father's accomplishments as a self made man who rose to the challenges of his own generation.� He loved his mother's brilliant mind and he was a loyal caretaker for her late in her life.� In my last conversation with him on father's day Robert told me, not for the first time, of his love for his siblings and the pride he held for the way his sister Kathy and brother Brian have lived their lives.� He applauded their wisdom and hard work in creating strong families and lasting professional legacies.He was an American original, a renaissance man who led an unique and adventurous life filled with humor and creativity.� He was also the freest man I have ever known.� Today our world is a little less colorful, a little less original, and a lot more lonely for the loss our father.� He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Eugene and Mary Elizabeth (Linger) Ferriter.Robert is survived by his wife, Ellen Casey; sons, Robert Jr. and Michael Ferriter; brother, Brian Ferriter; and sister, Kathy Ferriter-Vervalin.Celebration of Life pending. Interment, Valley View Cemetery, Ordway, Colorado.