Gene Ortiz

Gene Ortiz, aged 82, passed away peacefully on November 15 ,2024 at HopeWest in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was preceded in death by his parents, older sister Martha and his son Darin. Gene was born on June 10, 1942, in Cory Colorado, to Manuel & Ermalinda (Herrera) Ortiz.

 He was a proud resident of Paonia Colorado. He married Marilyn Emmons on June 13, 1966, in Grand Junction, Colorado. He started working for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad out of high school and retired after 32 years. Gene loved to travel and take pictures of all the scenery and people around him; he enjoyed walking the railroad with his grandson and building bike ramps for his grandkids; he also had a knack for drawing. 

His family and travel were his two biggest passions. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; a younger brother, Emil Ortiz (Ingrid Ortiz); and Children Kathie Bush (Bill Bush) Shawn Ortiz (Lori Ortiz), Nicole Ortiz (Alex Alire), And Sammi Ortiz (KC Johnson); and grandchildren, Courtney Morris (Page Morris), Orion Ortiz, Anthony Barela, Michael Ortiz, Christopher Barela (Azalea Barela), Angel Patterson (Hayden Patterson), Kiley Johnson, Jacob Dangler; and great grandchildren Ollyver & Theodore Ortiz (Orion); Zaylianna, Adalayah & Esai Barela (Christopher),and Darin Patterson