Harry A. "Hoppy" Tyson
Marriages
Mary Suzanne Bodkin
Burial Details
Obituaries
Steamboat Today - November 14, 2008
A military honors tribute for Harry A. "Hoppy" Tyson is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Steamboat Springs Cemetery. Immediately after the ceremony, Hoppy's friends and family will celebrate his life with a gathering at the Steamboat Smokehouse.
Father, grandfather and friend Harry A. "Hoppy" Tyson passed away Oct. 22, 2008, at the Doak Walker Care Center, after a brief illness. His friendly, happy, fun-loving spirit will be missed by his family and many friends whose lives he touched during his 35 years in Steamboat Springs.
Hoppy's proud heritage started as a young cadet at Western Military Academy in Alton, Ill. His high school and college education were at Kemper Military School in Boonville, Mo., where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant during World War II. He served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1944 with Gen. George Patton's 3rd Army in North Africa. He returned to his native Decatur, Ill., and attended James Milliken University, joined Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, and met and married Mary Suzanne Bodkin, his wife of 40 years.
He moved the family to Colorado Springs in 1949 to operate Household Finance Corporation. His life and times in Colorado Springs included sales with Doenges-Long Ford and Faith Realty. He was president of the El Paso County Sheriff's Posse and active with the VFW and American Legion, as well as Kit Carson Riding Club and Fraternal Order of the Eagles.
In 1976, he and his wife moved to Steamboat where he continued his Realtor career with The Real Estate Company and property management at the Harbor Hotel. Later, he worked security at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort Hotel and several years for City Market. His lifelong passions included riding horses, camping, hunting, studying the American West and Civil War history. He was a lifetime member of VFW Post 4262.
Hoppy is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, granddaughter and grandson-in-law, and grandson.
