Donald Krieger Jr.

Donald(Don) Loyd Krieger Jr died peacefully on September 23, 2022, at Collier Hospice in Lakewood surrounded by his loving wife and family.  He was 80 years old.

Don was born on June 19, 1942, in Moline, Illinois to Donald and Frances Krieger. He moved with his family to Milliken, Colorado, when he was 9 years old.  He attended Milliken High School for 2 years and played the trumpet in a musical trio and also sang in a small choral group, both of which performed at a music Festival in Greeley.  While living in Milliken, he spent time working on many dry land farms, where he learned that you do not bale hay when it is wet as those bales get very heavy and then you are on your own to stack them.  During the many boring weekends in Milliken, he would sneak into the high school (somehow, he had all the keys) for something to do and would occasionally throw rocks at the streetlights in town.

His family moved to Westminster, CO, prior to his junior year in high school at which point he started attending Holy Family High School where he played football, basketball, and baseball.  His teammates would all say that even though he was little, he was one of the peskiest players out there, and they all loved having him on their team.  As a testament to his talent, he made the all Parochial teams in both football and basketball.  Depending on who you talk to, he may have even been the instigator of a big fight in an old Parochial league basketball game between Holy Family and Regis that made the front page of the sports section.  While at Holy Family, Don made many lifelong friends to whom he remained close to until his death.

After graduating from Holy Family, Don briefly attended the University of Northern Colorado, where he majored in playing the card game Hearts, and probably having a beer or two, with some of his friends.  He decided after a few weeks that college was not for him and he moved back to Denver to go to work doing something that kept him outside and dealing with people, which was working at a gas station on Pecos St, where he met his future wife Betty Ann Jiuliano.

Don and Betty Ann dated for a year and a half before they got married in August of 1964 and bought their one and only house in Northglenn, where they raised their family.  Don, Betty and  the kids all hauled in many tons of rock and soil over the years to create what became over time, one of the nicest yards in all of Northglenn, even winning Northglenn’s Best Yard contest twice.  It was also the yard adorned every Christmas season with a spectacular Christmas light display.

Don worked a couple of jobs at Morris Chain and Constructions Specialties, before opening his own Standard gas station at 81st and Federal.  He did this until the mid-70s when he found his true passion, which was installing and servicing lawn sprinklers.  He initially worked for Theisen Sprinkler Company, before starting his own company in the mid-80s.  He never considered doing sprinklers to be work as he loved every minute of installing and troubleshooting sprinklers, but most of all he enjoyed all of his customers.  He liked getting to know them, and to him they were all friends.  If you knew Don, he probably repaired or installed a sprinkler for you, and you have seen him walk across your lawn with a big smile carrying a pair of channel locks, his preferred tool of choice.  He reluctantly retired from doing sprinklers when he was 79 years old.

Don also enjoyed having fun.  He loved going to the dog races, playing golf and especially the golf trips he and Betty Ann took with their friends to Mesquite and Santa Fe.  He was a big fan of all of the Denver sports teams and especially loved going to Rockies games where he once made the jumbo-tron after having his beard painted purple.

He enjoyed going to any and every church Bazaar.  For him, it was a social event more than anything, and it allowed him the opportunity to talk to anyone and everyone.  After all, he considered most people he met to be a friend.  He fully embraced the Italian culture he married into, and he especially enjoyed the Italian Christmas Eve traditions, including the pitch games with all of Betty Ann’s uncles, with whom he enjoyed spending every minute he could get with them.   He was great at doing puzzles and was passionate about coin collecting.  He did finally get that 1909 svdb penny that he spent most of his life talking about.

Everything above was important to Don, but nothing compared to his love for his family.  Even with as much as he worked, he always found time to make it to his kid’s games, school events, and award ceremonies.  He was always there to play catch, shoot baskets, watch a TV show, listen to Jim Croce outside on the Porta-Fi, help you with your car, take the family for a nice dinner or walk you down the aisle at your wedding.  He also made sure that Betty Ann always had the time from him that she needed, and they spent almost every evening having a drink together on the patio.

Don was blessed with the arrival of grandkids starting in 1992.  There may not have been anything that made him happier than spending time with any or all of them.  To them, he became affectionately known as “Goofy Grandpa” because of his sense of humor, but also because he was willing to do anything to make them laugh no matter how goofy.

Don’s memory will be kept alive by his loving wife Angela (Betty Ann), his children Mike (Teresa) Krieger, Michelle (Ryan) Heath, and Mark Krieger.  Grandchildren Tyler (Ashley) Krieger, Haley Heath, Mitchell Krieger, Victoria Heath, London Krieger, Lauren Krieger, Kennedy Krieger and great granddaughter, Piper Rae Krieger.  He was proceeded in death by his parents Donald Loyd and Frances Krieger, in-laws Elizabeth and Joseph Jiuliano, and is survived by sisters Patricia (Jim) McGuire and Pamela (Chuck) Cowan, brother Thomas(Lisa) Krieger, brother in law, Joseph Jiuliano, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes in Don’s name at this link:  https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=f3e8a2  or by calling 303-863-1200.

A Rosary will be held on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at 10:30am at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, 2361 E 78th Ave, Denver, CO 80229. Funeral Mass will begin at 11:00 AM.