Paul Francis Moloney

Paul Francis Moloney, long-time journalist, photographer, editor, teacher and friend to many, died Saturday, February 13 of heart failure at a Lafayette hospital. His family was with him shortly after he passed. Paul was born in Alamosa on April 26, 1933, to Alexis and Casilda (Salazar) Moloney. He grew up in Monte Vista and graduated from Monte Vista High School in 1952. While in high school, Paul became interested in sports as a reporter and worked for the Monte Vista newspaper. He received a degree in Journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1956. While at CU, Paul was editor of the Colorado Daily, the campus newspaper and also editor of the Coloradan, the university's yearbook. He took a class in photojournalism at the university, but had to be tutored throughout because he knew so little about cameras. Many decades later, he would return to the college to teach the class. After graduation, Paul worked for the Cortez Journal newspaper in Cortez, then for the Idaho Falls Post Register. He came to the Greeley Tribune later in 1956 as sports editor. ""The third day on the job he was handed a camera and was told he was also the sports photographer,"" said Paul's son, Kevin Moloney. ""He knew nothing about cameras, and he was 23 years old, but that night he went home and cried."" Then he contacted Ken Hikida of Ken's Camera Center in Greeley, and Ken taught Paul everything he needed to know to shoot the photos. They became life-long friends. In 1960, Paul and Annette Henscheid married and settled in Greeley to raise a family. While they were on their honeymoon, Paul learned he had won a national award for photography from the American Association of College Baseball Coaches. He would go on to win that award four more times, along with dozens of state and national awards for photography. Starting as the sports editor for the Tribune, in his 25 years with the newspaper he also served as copy editor, city editor, and chief photographer. He wrote a weekly column that was popular with the readers: ""Wondering, Wandering Photographer."" Leaving daily employment at the newspaper in 1981, Paul continued to write his column until 2005, then published it as a blog until 2010. In total, he wrote the column for 35 years. He also wrote three books: Images of the Valley (1984), Sauguache: Profile of Tranquility (1986), and Friends and Celebrities (2001). After leaving the Tribune, Paul taught photography at the Colorado Institute of Art and at CU Boulder. ""I took his class, and he gave me an 'A-minus'"" said Kevin, who now teaches the same class. Paul retired from teaching in 1996. There are many Paul Moloney stories of his photography, journalism, teaching and friends. Paul and his entire family are great St. Louis Cardinal baseball fans. It's because his great aunt owned the land where the Cardinals built their stadium, and his father was a batboy for the Cards. ""He (Paul's father) once caught a pitch from Cy Young,"" said Kevin. ""It knocked him down."" Surviving Paul are his wife Annette; daughter Regina Payne and husband Jeff, their daughter Kendra, son Brent and Kendra's daughter, (Paul and Annette's only great-grandchild) Marlee; Paul's son Kevin, his wife Elizabeth Amidon Smith and stepson Callum Amidon; son Lex Moloney and his fiancée Jennifer Dowland; daughter Colleen Clair, her husband Timothy and daughter Bronwyn Clair. And, his family said, Paul is also survived by hundreds of students and grand-students. A funeral has been set for Friday morning at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 3050 W. 76th Ave., in Westminster. Viewing at 9:30 a.m., Rosary at 10 a.m., and Mass at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call the church at (303) 427-5632. Donations may be made in Paul's name to The American Diabetes Association (bit.ly/PaulDiabetes) or the Queen of Angels Monastery in Mt. Angel, Oregon (www.benedictine-srs.com/). Please arrange flowers with Horan & McConaty Funeral Services (www.horancares.com). For a story on Paul's 50-year celebration as a photographer go to bit.ly/PaulReport or to see a gallery of his photos, go to bit.ly/PaulPhotos