R.A. Prossence
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3D Obituary - March 29, 2020
R.A. “Dick”
Prosence
April 23, 1924 - March 21, 2020
Former Grand Junction
resident and veteran highway
engineer and administrator, R.
A. “Dick” Prosence, passed
away at his home in Meeker on
March 21, 2020. He was 95.
Born in Illinois, he grew up
in Colorado and Utah. After
serving in the Army during
WWII, he received a degree in civil engineering from the University
of Utah in 1950. While working for the US Bureau of Public Roads
he returned to Colorado and eventually went to Grand Junction to
work for the Colorado Department of Highways. The last 13 years of
26 years of service with the Department, he was District Engineer,
supervising all highway activities for northwestern Colorado.
Dick was a leader in the development of Interstate Route 70
between the Utah state line and Silverthorne, including widely
acclaimed segments over Vail Pass and through Glenwood Canyon.
For one year he lived in Glenwood Springs and supervised the
construction of the twin tunnels east of town. During his tenure
Colorado highway projects received many national awards. In
1974 the section of I-70 from Mack to the Utah state line won the
top national award for a rural highway in its natural environment.
Dick believed in widely sweeping curves and broad medians as
constructed east and west of Rifle and from Loma west. In 1980
Dick received the prestigious Forest Service 75th Anniversary
Award for his support of environmental concerns along the Vail
Pass segment of I-70.
During the controversy over the Glenwood Canyon segment of
I-70 Dick was tenacious in his determination to succeed in getting
route and design approvals so that construction could proceed.
During the summer of 1976, he lived in the Colorado Hotel in
Glenwood Springs so that he could personally conduct public tours
of the canyon and chair the many public meetings.
Once the final design of the canyon segment had won approval,
Dick retired and moved to Phoenix to assist with design development
for the Papago Freeway through the center of the city. Many
aesthetic solutions developed for Vail Pass and Glenwood Canyon
can be found on Phoenix area freeway projects.
Dick loved the outdoors. He would miss supper to go fly fishing
with his hand-tied flies. Camping and hiking wilderness trails were
favorite activities. For 30 years he rode all varieties of motorcycles,
beginning with Tote Gotes in 1964. These rides included trips to
Canada and the coast on street bikes.
A prolific author of “Letters to the Editor”, Dick had over 100 of
his letters on a variety of subjects printed in newspapers in Phoenix,
Denver, Vail, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Meeker, Grand Junction,
Montrose and Gunnison. His book, Building I-70, describes the
development of that freeway across Western Colorado. A second
book, Wheels in My Life, documents every wheeled vehicle
beginning with his first tricycle and describing each car, truck,
motorcycle and bicycle and the experiences he enjoyed with each
one.
Dick is survived by his wife, Beverly; children, Cas Nelson
(Dale), Gillette, WY; Paul Prosence (Nancy), North Salt Lake City,
Utah, and Matt Prosence (Konnie); step-children, David Dickman,
Grand Junction, CO; Annie Long, Meeker, CO, and Paul Dickman
(Denise), Phoenix, AZ; several grandchildren, great-grandchildren,
nieces, and nephews.
Cremation has taken place and a celebration of life will be held
later in the summer.
Memorial donations may be made to Hope West, 575 Third
Street, Meeker, CO 81641.
May you find strength in the
love of family and in the
warm embrace of friends. - all-greatquotes.com
M
