Walter Henry Pollock
Marriages
Patsy (Turner) Pollock - June 15, 1958
Obituaries
The Daily Sentinel page 7B - July 23, 2023
Walter Henry Pollock
left this world surrounded
by his loved ones on June
27, 2023, in the comfort
of his home in Lafayette,
Colorado, at the age of 91.
He was born on April 23,
1932, to William Ernest
Pollock and Lois Magdalene
Righdenour Pollock in
Fruita, Colorado. He grew
up on the family homestead
in the New Liberty area of Western Colorado, just west of
Fruita. Walt was the fourth of five children: James, Betty,
Robert, Walt, and Norma. He graduated from Fruita Union
High School, where he played basketball, baseball, and
football. He joined the Navy in 1951 where he served as a
radio operator for four years during the Korean War. After
his service, he returned to Fruita where he met the woman
who would become his lifelong sweetheart, Patsy (Turner)
Pollock. They celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary
on June 15th, 2023.
The new couple moved to Mexican Hat, Utah, where
he worked at Texas-Zinc Minerals Corporation. In 1960,
the family returned to Fruita, and Walt enrolled at Mesa
State College to earn an associate’s degree. The family then
moved to Fort Collins where Walt earned his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Colorado State University. After
graduation, Walt moved the family to Boulder, Colorado
where he worked for a year at the Rocky Flats facility and
then for twenty-eight years as an atmospheric chemist at
the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR.)
His work at NCAR took him all over the world collecting
upper atmospheric air samples and analyzing them to research and support the ozone depletion theory.
Walt pursued many passions in life. Camping, fly
fishing, hunting, archery, and bird hunting were all major
hobbies for Walt and he included his family on many of his
adventures. He loved coaching his son’s sports, being an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 78, and attending all his children’s concerts, recitals, and marching band performances.
He connected deeply with many friends who shared his
same passions. Upon retirement, Walt and Pat spent many
winters in their RV in Patagonia, Arizona, where he shifted
from bird hunting to bird watching, an activity they both
enjoyed immensely. Walt was also an avid genealogist and
spent hours each day researching his family roots. He meticulously recorded all his findings for future generations.
Walt was ever-present in his grandchildren’s lives. He
was immensely proud of their accomplishments and rarely
missed an event. As his vision limited his ability to pursue his passions, he lived through all the experiences of his
family and never missed an opportunity to get an update
about the latest family news.
Walt remained at the center of family life until he
passed. He is survived by his wife, Patsy Turner Pollock,
his daughter Lori Hattendorf, his daughter Lisa Pellman
and son-in-law Brad Pellman, his son Gary Pollock, and his
three grandchildren, Melissa Pellman, Gregory Pellman,
and Jenna Hattendorf. He is also survived by his brother
Robert Pollock, his sister Norma Gobbo, his brother-in-law,
Don Turner, all of Fruita, Colorado as well as numerous
nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Life will be held on
Saturday, July 22, 2023, at 2:00 pm for Walt at St. Andrew
Presbyterian Church, 3700 Baseline Road, Boulder, CO. In
lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Walt’s name
to American Macular Degeneration Foundation, or the
American Heart Association.
