Ronald F. Blasius

Ronald Blasius, age 80, of Denver, Colorado, died on Sunday, July 10, 2016. He was born to the late Rudolph and Philomena (Ligman) Blasius in Oak Park, Illinois. His father was one of thirteen children of Carl and Dorothea (Kruger) Blasius, German immigrants who settled in Forest Park, Illinois, during the late 1800s. Ron had fond memories of Sundays with his large extended family when everyone spent the day visiting his grandparents' home, always ending with a dinner where great German food and fun were in plentiful supply. He loved summers in Wisconsin, where his maternal uncles introduced him to hunting and fly fishing. Ron attended Grant-White Elementary School in Forest Park and Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, where he made many life-long friends. He married Eileen Murphy in 1963. They made their home in Forest Park before moving to Denver, Colorado, in 1969. Ron was very proud of his military service and told many interesting stories about basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and life in the Communications Center at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, where he was stationed for two years. He loved books, classical music, British mysteries and comedies, his 1972 VW Super Beetle, and sports, especially DePaul's Blue Demons and the Denver Broncos. Most rewarding were his student days at DePaul University, Chicago, where he received Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Philosophy. He earned both degrees in a record six years while working full time. Richard's Tavern in Forest Park was a favorite meeting place for Ron and his college friends on Friday nights. There they discussed ideas, debunked theories, and argued their points of view. Ron's interest in philosophy pulled him back to the classroom and to a thirty-four year teaching career in Philosophy and Psychology at Community College of Denver. Ron is survived by Eileen; his children Eric (Carissa) and Kyla (Kyle) Gundersen; his four grandchildren Aidan, Declan, and Jacob Blasius, and Nevis Gundersen; nieces Patricia Kukulski and Debra Kucko; and numerous cousins. He is preceded in death by his infant daughter, Dena Ann, and his sister, Shirley Limbursky. He would also want to acknowledge his faithful cat, Claude LeMew, who devoted all of his nine lives to Ron. Memorial donations in Ron's name may be made to The Denver Dumb Friends League, 2080 South Quebec Street, Denver, CO 80231. A memorial service will be held at Horan and McConaty Funeral Home, 1091 South Colorado Blvd, Denver 80246, on Monday, August 29, 2016, at 10:00am. Interment will take place at Fort Logan National Cemetery at 12:15pm the same day.