Jerry L. Chiles

Our beloved uncle, Jerry Lowell Chiles, passed away at the age of 86 at his residence in Grand

Junction, Colorado, on October 9, 2024.

Jerry was born to Leonard Dal Chiles and Marjorie Dean Jack Chiles on September 21, 1938 in

Hereford, Texas. He was predeceased by his brother, David, and nephew, Joe. He is survived by

his niece, Christie Chiles (John) Hatch, nephews, David Chiles, Cory Chiles, Nathan (Rebecca)

Chiles, and numerous grandnieces, grandnephews, great-grandnieces, and great-grandnephews.

Raised on a farm in Friona, Texas, Jerry learned hard work and self-reliance at a young age. His

family spent summer vacations fishing near the old mining town of Crested Butte, Colorado.

After graduating from Friona High School in 1957, Jerry moved to Dallas and worked for

Goodwill Industries, where he developed an interest in antiques and coins. After a ski resort

opened near Crested Butte in the mid-1960s, he decided to move there and try his fortune in the

now growing town. A few years later, his mother, Marjorie, joined him. During his four decades

in Colorado, Jerry operated heavy equipment, plowed snow, built or expanded three houses, and

served as Crested Butte’s first fire chief, a post he held for 30 years. His hobbies included fly

fishing, hunting, mushrooming, and woodworking. A confirmed bachelor, he took care of his

mother as she got older and was a significant presence in the lives of his niece, nephews, and

their families.

In 2003, Jerry moved to Dubuque, Iowa, where he lived in a house down the street from his

niece, Christie, for 8 years. After she and her husband moved to Pennsylvania, they relocated

Jerry to White Horse Village in the rural country west of Philadelphia. In 2022, all three of them

moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, where he lived out the rest of his days.