Wallace Thomas Stoffel

Wally Stoffel, 82 of Denver. Husband of Joyce for 64 years. Father of Tom (Ann) Stoffel, Julie Mitchell, Jerry (Teresa) Stoffel. Grandfather of Chad (Heather) & Craig (Jaymie Fuentes). Brother of Marvin (Joyce) Stoffel. A true Denver native, Wally was born on July 14, 1926 and was one of four children who lived with their parents on South Broadway. His father owned a garage and worked on autos ranging from Stanley Steamers to the Governor's car. He graduated from Westwood High School in what is now southwest Denver. He lettered in basketball, enjoyed mechanical drawing, and balanced his studies with friends and fun times. It was here that he met Joyce. After graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Army on 22 September 1944. While on leave after completing basic training, he married Joyce (who had yet to finish her senior year – such were the pressures of wartime) on January 27, 1945. An infantryman, he shipped out for the Pacific Theater in early 1945. Serving as a radio man during the invasion of Okinawa in the latter days of the Ryukyus Campaign, he achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant as part of the Allied Occupation of Japan. After his honorable discharge in 1946, he returned to set up housekeeping with Joyce who had saved enough for their first home in Denver. Working as a welder, he helped with various construction projects ranging from petroleum storage tanks in Commerce City to ironwork in the Denver mountain parks. Two years after returning home from the war, his son Tom was born. Soon after this, Wally became a bread delivery man for Home Pride Bakery where he worked for 17 years during which time his daughter Julie and son Jerry were born. Wally and Joyce provided a loving and stable home for their three children. As a father, Wally gave his children their ""common sense"" by word and example: _Always treat people the way you would want to be treated _Family first _Love one another _A job worth doing, is worth doing right _Mow the lawn up/back, side-to-side, and then diagonally _Learn by doing _You can fix it _You don't need to read the directions _If someone built it, then you can take it apart _Always save the bolts and screws before discarding an appliance _Fix the leaky tire inner tube by pouring in some evaporated milk _Tighten the bolt by turning it as far as you can, then a half-turn more _Pay attention to details _Take care of your tools _Be generous _Take care of your pennies before worrying about dollars _Cheap is expensive _Be honest _Work hard _Keep your sense of humor _You learn more by listening than by talking _Drive as though your life depended on it _Drive as though you were in the car ahead _Eat until you are ""half-full"" _Respect the U.S. flag and what it represents _Dawn is the best part of the day _Things will be better in the morning Wally eventually became a Prudential insurance agent where he got to know hundreds of families before retiring in 1985. In retirement, he pursued his passion for building and fixing things, including the restoration of his 1967 Mustang with his grandson Chad who drove the ""new"" car in college. He and Joyce also enjoyed many years of going to little league ball games, soccer matches, and football games to watch both of their grandsons, Chad and Craig, play with their Louisville teammates. He helped Julie with her classroom needs by building easels and other elementary school projects. Julie and Dad shared their common interest in gardening. Music from Jerry and Teresa's band, The Teresa Lynne Band, gave him great pleasure and he was proud of their Monterey Bay Blues Festival awards. He loved animals, especially Georgia, Jerry and Teresa's cutest little dog in the whole world. In his spare time, he was quick to make many craft projects for his ""kids"" using his imagination and his abilities to use the many materials he had on hand to create his functional works of art. Wally was a loving husband, father and grandfather, a caring neighbor, and a friend who will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.