Obituary of Joe Nolan

Joe Nolan, 78, a longtime Colorado Springs Funeral Director and co-owner of Nolan Funeral Home and Nolan Motor Sports died July 15, 2011.Joe served as President of the Pikes Peak Timing Association (Drag Strip), Area Advisor for the National Hot Rod Association, and Co-Founder of the Rocky Mountain Drag Racing Association. He was a member of VFW Post 4051, American Legion Post 5 and the Colorado Springs Historical Society.Joe was a Certified Mortuary Service Practitioner, Certified International Funeral Director & Embalmer and served as Past-President of the Southern Colorado Funeral Directors for 8 years. He also served on the board of the Colorado Funeral Directors Association and he was awarded Funeral Director of the year for 3 years.Joe joined Nolan Funeral Home in 1955 as a 2nd generation family business; he purchased the funeral home in 1975.He served as the Evergreen and Fairview Cemeteries Historian researching and locating early pioneer burial sites and was a member of the El Paso County Pioneers Museum. He was an honorary member of the Colorado Natives Club.He was proud of his service in the US Navy and was a Korean War Veteran; he was assigned to Battle Ship Iowa B.B.61, on the Admiral's Staff (Burke) and had a small craft rating.He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister and a brother.Joe is survived by his children, James (Bridget) Nolan of Chandler, AZ; daughters, Cheryl A. Sutton of Marysville, CA & Kim (Darrel) Stutzman of Colorado Springs, CO; brother, Charles (Virgene) R. Nolan, Jr. of Colorado Springs, CO & sister, Mary (Ed) O'Neill of Blakely Island, WA along with 4 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.Visitation will be held 5:00PM – 8:00PM, Monday, July 18, 2011 at The Springs Funeral Services, 3115 E. Platte Avenue.Funeral Service will be 1:00PM, Tuesday, July 19, 2011 at The Springs Funeral Services with interment to follow at Evergreen Cemetery.Memorial contributions may be made in Joe's memory to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, 610 Abbott Lane, Colorado Springs, CO 80905. Funeral Home:The Springs Funeral Services3115 East Platte AvenueColorado Springs, , COUS 80909 Events Cemetery Saturday, July 16, 2011 12:00AM Evergreen Cemetery 1005 Hancock Expressway Colorado Springs, CO 80903 Phone: 719-578-6646 Visitation Monday, July 18, 2011 5:00PM - 8:00PM The Springs Funeral Services 3115 East Platte Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Phone: 719-207-8855 Service Tuesday, July 19, 2011 1:00PM The Springs Funeral Services 3115 East Platte Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Phone: 719-207-8855