William (Bill) Eugene Ewen was born to William and Dorothy Ewen on November 26, 1932 in Michael, Illinois, a small village in Calhoun County on the Illinois River.  He passed away on October 22, 2016 at home in his favorite recliner.

He is survived by his wife Pat Ewen whom he married 55 years ago on April 8, 1961.  Two children in Colorado: Steve (wife Jean, grandchildren Ryan and Matthew), Kristi Hanks (husband Andy, grandchildren Gavin with wife Bethany, Kassidie, Kaci Rae and Isaiah).  Two children in Texas: Katie Mendez and Sean Ewen with a number of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Bill served his country in the Air Force right out of high school including two years in the Korean War as a bomb specialist.  He worked for the BLM in Craig, Colorado where he was a well known Fire Management Officer, being one of the first to hire women as part of his Helitack crew.  The family moved to Montrose in 1978 where Bill continued to work for the BLM until his retirement in 1985.

He taught gun safety and self-defense classes and was an active member of the Montrose Gun Club where he enjoyed his time with his shooting buddies.

A Memorial Celebration will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on November 5, 2016 at The Bridges Golf Course in Montrose, Colorado.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial Donations in Bill’s honor may be made to the:

Welcome Home Montrose, 11 South Park Ave., Montrose Colorado 81401 or

Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675