Garrett Tyler LaForce
Burial Details
Obituaries
Vail Daily page A4 - July 8, 2014
EVHS teacher and coach among 3 killed in car crash.
GYPSUM — A local high school coach and teacher is one of three people killed in a single-vehicle rollover crash in Southwest Colorado.
Garrett LaForce was killed when the vehicle in which he was riding went off the road and rolled several times down a steep embankment. LaForce taught technology and industrial arts at Eagle Valley High School, and he was the girls volleyball coach.
ONE SURVIVOR
Another Eagle Valley teacher, Weston Gleiss, survived the crash. He teaches math. He was the only survivor among the four passengers and was treated for minor injuries at the Telluride hospital, said the Colorado State Patrol.
The vehicle was headed south on Colorado Highway 145 near Ophir, about six miles south of Telluride. The crash happened around 1:30 a.m. Saturday.
The 2011 Chevy Cruz in which they were riding went off the right side of the road and struck a road sign. After striking the road sign, it rolled several times down a steep embankment. The road there is on the edge of an extremely steep, high cliff, according to topographical maps.
The vehicle rolled across D65 Road and came to rest about 15 feet off that road, said the Colorado State Patrol.
The San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office says three of the four people in the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene.
OTHER PASSENGERS KILLED
Also killed were Edward Bollman, 23, of Colorado Springs, and Carly Sansone, 21, of Smith Creek, Michigan.
All four were wearing seatbelts.
The Colorado State Patrol is investigating the crash.
“Our hearts break for the families involved and everyone affected by this loss,” said Jason Glass, superintendent of Eagle County Schools.
REMEMBERING LAFORCE
LaForce had successfully completed his first year as a teacher and coach, said Tami Payne, Eagle Valley’s assistant principal and athletic and activities director.
“Garrett was such a tremendous friend, colleague, teacher and coach. We will work to support each other in dealing with his loss and the impact it will have on our community,” said a statement from Payne.
LaForce earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education: Industrial technology in 2012 from Northern Michigan University.
He’s a native of Libertyville, Illinois, and lived in Eagle.
Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 and rwyrick@vaildaily.com.
Vail Daily page A2 - July 11, 2014
Putting Life in his years. Celebrations scheduled for Garrett LaForce, teacher and coach who died in a car crash.
EAGLE COUNTY — Garrett LaForce was a good man and coach on his way to becoming great. He and two others died last weekend when their car rolled off a steep mountainside road near Telluride.
His players will do what we all do, the only thing anyone can do — they’ll go on. There’ll be times they won’t want to, but they will.
Go, you see, is an action verb, and LaForce was a man of action.
LaForce was Eagle Valley’s head volleyball coach and helped coach girls soccer. His volleyball team was supposed to hold a position camp this week. It was canceled because all the camp’s coaches were in that car.
Three died. One lived.
The team will go to their team camp at Colorado State University later this month. They’ll go.
LaForce, 26, Ed Bollman, 23, and Carly Sansone, 21, all died when their car went off the road between Telluride and Ophir at about 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. They were on the way back to their campsite and were only minutes away. Another Eagle Valley teacher, Weston Gleiss, escaped with minor injuries.
LaForce, Bollman and Gleiss have been pals since their days at the University of Northern Michigan.
LaForce earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education-industrial technology in 2012 from Northern Michigan University. He’s a native of Libertyville, Illinois, and lived in Eagle.
After learning of his death, LaForce’s entire family came to Colorado.
“Garrett’s family knew he loved this place. They all came out to see it for themselves,” said Tami Payne, Eagle Valley’s athletic director.
LaForce had plenty to do between coaching Eagle Valley’s volleyball team and teaching technology and industrial arts. But when girls soccer coach Stephen Baxter asked him to handle conditioning for the girls soccer team he said something like, “Sure!”
He hadn’t played soccer since he was in fourth grade, but that didn’t slow him down much.
“He was a good guy and a great coach,” Baxter said.
At a pickup soccer game Wednesday, Baxter and Payne offered the girls this bit of sage counsel: “Let your friends grieve as they want to. Our job is to support them,” Baxter said.
Life in his years
LaForce was just 26, not very many years, but oh my how he packed life into those years.
One night earlier this week, a bunch of his players were sitting around trying to process it all, when the stories started. Moments later the giggling followed, sounding like angels wings as the rough, raw emotions began to yield to the first stages of healing.
There was the picture in their heads of LaForce dressed in old man shoes and sweat pants, looking at people as if asking, “What’s wrong? All the cool kids dress this way, don’t they?”
There was the practice he ran the girls from the high school to Costco for ice cream, a sizable jog. As they were eating he asked, “Are you going to finish that?” He ate an insane amount of ice cream and pizza crusts, and then led the jog back to the school. By the way, they won their next game, just so you know.
Payne was there as the players reminisced and supported one another. Payne asked if they wanted to hit some volleyballs around. They thought not. They’d just be with one another.
Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 and rwyrick@vaildaily.com.
Celebrations of life
Two memorial services for Garrett LaForce are scheduled.
• 11 a.m. Saturday at the Apollo Funeral Home, 13416 W Arbor Pl, Littleton, CO 80127, (720) 509-9719.
• Locally, 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4, Eagle Valley High School auditorium.
To help
At the family’s request a memorial fund is being set up for anyone wishing to make donations or give money in Garrett’s name. The money will be used to help support EVHS Volleyball. Make checks payable to:
Eagle Valley High School
Memo: LaForce Memorial Fund
Address: EVHS c/o Tami Payne
PO Box 188
641 Valley Road
Gypsum, CO 81637
To get help
Because this tragedy happened during a time when the school district does not have its normal supports in place, students, parents or staff are asked to contact the school district if they need help with the grieving process. Those in need will be connected with counselors or other professionals.
Vail Daily page A13 - July 12, 2014
Garrett Tyler LaForce, teacher at Eagle Valley High School, passed away July 5, in a car accident near Telluride. Garrett had just finished his first year as a STEM teacher at the school where he also coached girls’ volleyball and soccer.
Garrett’s journey spanned May 25, 1988, to July 5, 2014. Garrett was an avid thrill seeker. He loved to ski, hike, bike, camp and had his faithful companion dog Tober with him every step of the way.
Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Apollo Funerals, located at 13416 W Arbor Place, Littleton, CO 80127.
Vail Daily page A3 - August 5, 2014
LaForce remembered as devoted educator. Hundreds gather to celebrate Garrett LaForce and wish "May LaForce be with you."
GYPSUM — Many of Garrett LaForce’s Eagle Valley High School volleyball girls were taller than he was.
But that’s not where it counts.
Hundreds gathered Monday to remember LaForce, their teacher, coach and friend. There was nowhere he wouldn’t go, they said, nothing he wouldn’t do for his students, players and friends.
LaForce took over what many of his volleyball players called a “broken” team. They said he turned it around by believing in them, and making them believe in themselves.
From dead last the year before, they finished second in the league and only one win from the state tournament.
He was a “kid magnet” who often arrived at school at 4 a.m. and stayed until 9 p.m., or 2 a.m., because that’s what he needed to do, to do what needed to get done.
There’s the story about him giving every player a piece of wood. When they put it together, they’d made a volleyball, a lesson that the sum is greater than its parts.
“LaForce squeezed more into his 26 years than most people do in twice that,” said Greg Doan, Eagle Valley principal.
His short life touched and improved hundreds of others, and will continue to do so.
“This year is going to be a big year, and Garrett is going to be there every step of the way,” said Tami Payne, Eagle Valley athletic director.
That’s where it counts.
“Don’t hesitate”
The car crash on a steep mountainside road near Telluride killed LaForce and two others, Ed Bollman, 23, and Carly Sansone, 21. His friend and colleague Weston Gleiss lived, the only survivor of the four.
“Don’t hesitate to laugh about him, don’t hesitate to cry about him, and just be glad you got to know him,” Gleiss said.
A video featuring volleyball season highlights was set to music, opening with Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.”
They laughed, they cried, then they laughed through their tears. It hit the crowd right in their hearts.
That’s where it counts.
The LaForce force
Garrett Tyler LaForce hit the ground running on May 25, 1988.
He hit Eagle Valley High School like, well … like a force.
Most folks in Monday’s crowd wore black T-shirts emblazoned with red Devils horns and a white halo with “Garrett” written in it. On the back their wish for everyone, “May LaForce be with you.”
Eagle Valley was recruiting both a volleyball coach and a technology teacher, which meant LaForce had two rounds of interviews with different panels in one day. He had a couple hours to kill between interviews, so he pulled his bike off his car and rode down Glenwood Canyon and back.
“One of the greatest lessons I was taught was to hire people who I thought would be kid magnets,” Doan said. “Being a kid magnet means you have a spirit, personality and a heart to be a teacher. When Garrett interviewed, we hit the jackpot. I wanted to tell him, ‘You got the job. It’s you!’”
He waited, like he was supposed to, but not long.
“Teaching and coaching was not work for Garrett, in any sense of the word,” Doan said.
LaForce’s family held a funeral in Denver just after the July 5 tragedy. So many of his volleyball and soccer players attended it that they packed three rows and more.
“He cared more about others than anything else. I’m so proud to be part of this volleyball team,” said Lindsey Myers, an assistant EVHS volleyball coach.
A half dozen people spoke Monday, then dozens hung around to trade memories and just be with each other.
Doan and Payne scripted their remarks, which they almost never do, but it was Doan’s unscripted closer that went to the heart of it all.
“I love Garrett, and I love all of you,” he said.
That’s where Garrett LaForce will live, and that’s where it counts.
Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 and rwyrick@vaildaily.com.
The LaForce Fund
At the family’s request a memorial fund is being set up for anyone wishing to make donations or give money in Garrett’s name. The money will be used to help support EVHS Volleyball. Make checks payable to:
Eagle Valley High School
Memo: LaForce Memorial Fund
Address: EVHS c/o Tami Payne
PO Box 188
641 Valley Road
Gypsum, CO 81637
If You Go
What: Devils Kickoff Relay
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Hot Stuff Stadium, Eagle Valley High School
Cost: The public is invited and there is no charge.
Information: 104 laps eaquals 2 6miles, one mile for every year of Garrett LaForce’s life.
Teams can have as many people as they want. People can run as many or as few laps as they want to get to 104.
