Keith L. Ulibarri

In Keith’s youthful years, he loved an active, adventurous life outdoors. If you could catch him, you would find him snow skiing in Aspen or water skiing at Lake Powell. Later, he discovered camping and motorcycling in the beautiful desert and peaks of Colorado and Utah. He was especially fond of the San Juans. These mountains were where he found the most peace in his young life. He even created a name for the riding gang he collected up as the Mountain Top Marauders. They would ride to the top of one peak and pause, looking over the great expanse of beauty before them, then choose the next peak to conquer. Keith was always at the front of the pack, leading the group into a great new adventure. In addition, he had the gift of being the social director and coordinator of every outing, inviting everyone to join the fun.

When he owned Roberts Electric Motor Service, servicing mines in a four-state area. Mines would call in the middle of the night to let him know they were no longer operating due to a blown-out motor. He considered getting the motor back to the shop ASAP a challenge and adventure. Keep in mind, this was before Google Maps, and these locations didn’t have addresses. So the directions to the motor were always very vague, like this, “Go to Kayenta, turn left at the main stop sign, and go 2 miles; you’ll see a Y in the dirt road; go left. After 10 miles, you will see a huge cedar tree that is flagged on the east side, turn there, and watch for a white truck bringing the motor to you.” Troubleshooting a situation and coming up with a quick solution was his strong suit.

Finding adventure in every stage of life, Keith was introduced to Glamis Sand Dunes. Now a motorcycle or four-wheeler just wasn’t enough horsepower to climb these enormous dunes, so he started building dune buggies. This new adventure became a great hobby with new friends and places to discover.

Golf also became a big part of his life at this time, where he could meet yet another set of friends. His new golfing buddies soon discovered that Keith had a lucky streak. More times than not, he would be down on the bet and keep pressing until he won on the final hole with an unbelievable shot!

Later, Keith found the love of his life, La Donna Cruson. With her love, she brought her children and grandchildren into his life to enjoy and love as his own. Together, they created the infamous Tuesday Night Dinner for the Village of Friends and Loved ones who wanted to enjoy good food, laughs, and just being together. Now, he discovered true love, a joy he had searched for all his life.

Keith is preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Dorothy Ulibarri. He is survived by siblings (Rhonda Riggle and Lex Ulibarri); the love of his life (La Donna Cruson); Special children in his inner circle he loved, are Christopher Schnell, Dustin Schnell, Elian Callister, and Isabella Schnell.

To honor Keith’s memory, we are holding a celebration of life on April 28, 2023 6-9 pm at the Eagles Lodge, 1674 US-50, Grand Junction, CO.