Loren Lutz of Grand Junction, Co passed away Saturday, December 11, 2021. Loren was in Indio, California with his wife Becky, enjoying their ‘snowbird’ lifestyle. Loren was 87.

Surviving are his wife of 67 years, Rebecca; son, Loren Lutz, Jr, of Colorado Springs, Co (spouse Debbie); two daughters, Cindy Lutz of Chapel Hill, NC (spouse Dennis Wuyick) and Leslie Holman (Spouse Troy) of Grand Junction, Co;  three grandsons, Brandon Lutz of Colorado Springs (wife Kristi), Jacob Holman of Omaha NE (wife, Alia), Cody Holman (spouse Taylor) of Salt Lake City, UT and two great grandsons, Jacob Holman, 3 years, of Omaha, NE  and Carter Lutz, 5 months, of Colorado Springs, Co.

Loren Lutz was born May 23, 1934 in Windsor, Co. He grew up attending Windsor High School where he excelled at basketball with the upperclassmen who welcomed him to the team.

He went on to play basketball at Drake University in Iowa and then began his basketball coaching career that lasted 21years. Loren found his most success as the head coach of the Adams State Indians in Alamosa, Co where he coached for12 years.

In addition to coaching, Loren loved education. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Drake, his master’s at Southern Colorado State College and PhD at Colorado State University in Greeley. He took that education and moved into athletic administration and teaching.  In the summers, he became the gentleman farmer, growing barley and potatoes in the San Luis Valley.

After coaching, Loren and the Holman family moved to Glenwood Springs and later Grand Junction as he redirected his career to owning and operating fast food restaurants. The ever- growing Grand Valley provided ample opportunity for new business ventures and Loren was excited to try something new. He eventually retired from day to day business, but kept involved managing investment real estate property in the area.

Summers found him on the golf course, and he loved the annual trip to Lake Powell when his grandkids were young, sharing a houseboat with friends and family. But his favorite vacation getaway spot was Las Vegas.  Loren never met a craps table he didn’t embrace. He enjoyed the camaraderie at the table as much as the gambling.  Along with the warm weather of Indio, there was a hotel casino in the area that called to him each winter!

He was an avid golfer, and sports fan, in particular following the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. We will surely miss his sharing the news of the number of tomatoes on his plants and the rose blooms in his garden. He’d become quite the gardener.

He will be dearly missed by family, friends and all the lives he touched.