William J. Myers

William Joseph Myers (“Bill” and “Grandpa Bill”) was born on January 20th, 1937 in Denver, Colorado, and died on January 11th, 2024 in Wheat Ridge, Colorado surrounded by friends and family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Ruth Myers; his brother, Jim Myers; his first wife, Betty Lou (nee´ Cathcart), and his son, Joseph David Myers. He leaves behind Marilyn Myers (wife), Bill Myers, Jr. (son), Patrick and Rhiannon Gallagher (stepson and stepdaughter-in-law) and their son Brendan Gallagher; Gina and Nathan Hochhalter (granddaughter, nee´ Myers, and grandson-in-law), Jeff and Ashley Myers (grandson and granddaughter-in-law) along with their children, Grant and Austin Myers; Nick and Mackenzie Myers (grandson and granddaughter-in-law) and their children Wesley, Cale, and Brooklynn Myers.

Bill grew up in North Denver and graduated from North High School. At 18, Bill enlisted in the Navy and served four years before becoming sworn-in as a Denver Police Officer in 1960. In 1961, Bill ‘s partner, Officer David “Joe” Gross, saved his life during a traffic stop. To honor Officer Gross, Bill named his youngest son after him, and wrote a book that eventually secured Gross the Medal of Honor. Bill always felt like his duty as a Denver Police Officer was valuable, and recognized the importance of having the right support to manage the high stress of the job. He proudly helped start the Denver Police Orphans Fund in the early 1960s. Bill was also passionate about working through grief, and was a supporter of Judi’s House in Denver.

He would eventually go on to meet Marilyn in a widows’ group and they married in 1990. Bill was already retired by then, and they traveled all over the world, most memorable of those trips included Sweden, France, Italy, China, and Russia. They also went to Australia and New Zealand. The outdoors was important to Bill, and he shared this love with family, friends, and other members of the Colorado Mountain Club. He and Marilyn had a house in Estes Park, CO and in Paducah, KY, and many have memories of Bill sharing outdoor activities and adventures with him there over the years.

Bill will be remembered by many as having an outstanding sense of humor. He would tease his grandchildren that the ring finger he lost in a moving accident was going to be in the package of hot dogs in the freezer. Bill was a stellar poker player and taught his grandchildren how to bluff with the best of them. White Elephant Christmas gift exchanges included gifts like toilet paper, a box of cords, or whatever treasures Bill found while thrifting—another hobby he loved. Bill was also a very talented artist and painted beautiful outdoor landscapes. In the last decade of his life, Bill worked diligently on finding information about his ancestry to pass along to his grandchildren.

If you’d like to donate to one of the causes that was important to Bill, click the links below: The Denver Police Orphans Fund Judi’s House

PLEASE ARRIVE AT FORT LOGAN NATIONAL CEMETERY STAGING AREA  'C' BY 10;15 AM…FOR THE 10;30AM SERVICE.

RECEPTION FOLLOWING THE SERVICE AT VFW POST#9644, 2680 West Hampden Ave, 80110, beginning at 11:00AM