Gerald L. Mihlbachler

Gerald “Jerry” Mihlbachler, 92, passed away peacefully on October 28, 2024. Jerry was born May 9, 1932 to Bernard and Helen Mihlbachler of Teutopolis, Illinois; owners of a local barbershop. A loving and devoted marriage of 58 years to Barbara Ann (Caserotti) Mihlbachler produced four children; Brian (wife Cathryn), Elizabeth, John (wife Angela), and Rosann (husband Shane). Sadly, wife Barbara, daughter Elizabeth, and brother Carl Bernard Mihlbachler preceded Jerry in death. Jerry leaves behind six grandchildren whom he loved and was very proud of; Erin and Thomas Mihlbachler, J. Caserotti (Caz) and Zachary Mihlbachler, and Mackenzie and Hunter Bryant. He also leaves behind a sister, Janice Niemerg, who resides in Teutopolis, Illinois.

Jerry was a dedicated and highly regarded Department of the Treasury public servant for 30 years, quickly rising through the ranks of the Internal Revenue Service to become the District Director for Colorado in 1974 until his retirement in 1988. Promotion to the Denver office was offered after he played a key role in unraveling the financial details of the infamous Watergate scandal. He served as an Army Sergeant during the Korean War (1952-1954) with a field artillery unit. Jerry was active with the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Professional Accountants) and its Colorado subchapter, the COCPA, throughout his career and well into retirement. He worked tirelessly on the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs in Colorado, “training the trainers,” drafting improved tax forms to the Treasury Department to better serve seniors. He was named more than once as volunteer of the year at the Aurora Senior Center for his VITA work to provide tax filing assistance and advice to senior citizens.

Together, Jerry and Barbara enjoyed the outdoors and travelled throughout the United States and world. Avid hikers, campers, backpackers, and skiers, together they climbed all 54 of the Colorado Fourteener’s (14,000-foot mountains), Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, to the second base camp at Mount Everest, and skied many powdery runs at all of Colorado’s resorts. Numerous camping and sightseeing trips took them to 34 foreign countries and many state parks and national parks and monuments. Jerry also enjoyed tennis, golf, and playing basketball and softball on traveling senior Colorado teams.

The family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to Sunrise at Orchard Assisted Living and Memory Care and Elevation Hospice of Colorado for the compassionate care they provided for 10 months.

Jerry and family are long-time parishioners of Risen Christ Catholic Church, Denver, Colorado, where Jerry was active in the Knights of Columbus. He especially loved working on the fish fry’s and their annual Tootsie Roll Drive.

A visitation and rosary will be held at Horan & McConaty on Sunday, November 10, 2024 (5303 E. County Line Road, Centennial, CO 80122). Doors will open at 2:30 pm and the rosary will begin at 3:00 pm. General visitation will immediately follow from 3:30 – 5:30 pm. A funeral mass will be held at Risen Christ (3060 S. Monaco Pkwy, Denver, CO) on Monday, November 11 at 10:00 am, with a celebration of life reception to follow in the church hall. The family requests donations be contributed to the Alzheimer’s Foundation or Doctors Without Borders in lieu of flowers. 

More than most, Jerry knew death and taxes can’t be avoided! In the spirit of St. Matthew, the patron saint of tax collectors, we pray ”Dear Lord, remind me that, in fact, for all the good things that I and others receive back from our government, my tax payments are a bargain”. Jerry would agree!