George W. Devor

George Devor, long-time Montrose resident, passed away peacefully on January 29, 2013, at Valley Manor Care Center in Montrose. He had been challenged with Alzheimer’s for several years.

The youngest of eight children, George Wendell Devor, was born on January 11, 1921, to Arthur Abraham and Sarah Jane (Wilklow) Devor. He grew up on a ranch that his mother had homesteaded in the Ellicott / Drennan community on the plains east of Colorado Springs. His father was an itinerant preacher who left the family when George was quite young. While growing up, George worked hard at school, the ranch, and many odd jobs to help his family survive.

Through an introduction by his sister Iva, he met the love of his life, Marguerite McWilliams, at Colorado State College of Education in Greeley. They exchanged letters while he served in World War II as an Army Medic. Upon returning to the States, George worked at the Exchange National Bank in Colorado Springs; and he was united in marriage to Marguerite in Pueblo, Colorado, on June 2, 1946. They moved to the Montrose area for George’s employment at the First National Bank of Montrose in 1948, and they were pleased to make it their home until their deaths.

George retired from Wells Fargo Bank in 1983. He saw many changes while he worked there, especially since he began as a teller and worked his way up to Executive Vice President.

George will be dearly missed by his sons Phillip (“Phil”) Eugene Devor and his wife Margaret of Markham, Ontario, Canada; Dennis Ray Devor and his wife Kathy of Montrose; as well as his daughter Joyce (“Joy”) Evelyn Duffy and her husband John of Sacramento, California. His five grandchildren — Thomas (“Tom”) Alan LeFevre (Joy), Truman Andrew George and Teresa Evelyn Margaret Devor (Phil), and Matthew Ray and Laura Emily Devor (Dennis) — will forever hold memories of his sense of humor and watching and working hard alongside him, be it building his dream cabin near Ouray, talking to and feeding livestock, or toiling in his large garden.

In addition to his wife Marguerite, who passed away on March 20, 2008, preceding George in death were his parents and his seven brothers and sisters: Cecil Wilklow, Arthur William, Howard Wesley, Cleo Mabel Elizabeth, Doris Marybelle, Jessie Pleasant (“Terry”), and Iva Myrtle.
Hard work and volunteerism were the backbone of George’s life, and he gave freely of his time to help make Montrose a better place. He served in many capacities at the Montrose United Methodist Church, a major focus of his time, energy, and love. He was President of the Montrose Jaycees, twice President of the Montrose Lions Club, Treasurer for the Salvation Army, a member of the Elks Club, and he was elected to and served on the Montrose Board of Education and Montrose City Council.

George loved the beauty of the San Juan Mountains, as well as traveling, camping, hunting, fishing, and debating politics and other issues of the day. His children remember him greeting each day with an enthusiastic “Rise and Shine!” He had a quiet capacity to see opportunity and potential for growth and development, be it in his family, his church, members of the community, bank customers, real estate development, or the garden. For many years, he shared large bouquets of garden flowers with his church family, taking big buckets filled with flowers to church on Sunday and letting people choose bouquets to take home. As a man of action, George preferred a hard day’s work to most other activities.
His family invites you to a Memorial Service of George’s life, which will be held at the Montrose United Methodist Church on Saturday, April 13th, at 11:00 am followed by a luncheon in Baldridge Hall at the church. In lieu of flowers, his family suggests a donation in memory of George Devor to the Montrose United Methodist Church Endowment Fund, 19 S. Park Ave., Montrose, CO 81401, or to Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado, P.O. Box 1804, Montrose, CO 81402. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.crippinfuneralhome.com. Cremation services were provided by Crippin Funeral Home & Crematory of Montrose.