Richard C. ‘Dick’ Breaker, 19 Nov 1927 – 16 Aug 2013

BREAKER, OGORZOLKA, DRISCOLL, DAFFIE, BAUGHT, ALBRECHT, MCGANN, BAIRD, COOVER

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 10/22/2013 at 09:51:27

Richard Breaker, 85

Funeral services for Richard (Dick) C. Breaker, 85, of Golden, Colo., were Aug. 21, 2013, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Golden.

He died at his home Friday, Aug. 16, 2013.

The Rev. James ReVello officiated at the funeral Mass.

Burial was at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Golden. Visitation and Rosary were Tuesday, Aug. 20, at the church.

Richard C. Breaker was born Nov. 19, 1927, the son of William and Clara Ogorzolka Breaker, Cambridge, Neb., the eldest of three children. He survived the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. The family moved to Colorado in 1936 as a result of the Republican River flood.

He was a World War II veteran, enlisting on D-Day 1944 and was a cryptographer in the European theater and was honorably discharged Sept. 28, 1946.

He graduated from the University of Colorado and became a registered professional engineer. He worked for Gerald H. Phipps Inc. for 31 years and retired as CEO, but remained as board chairman until 1998. During that time, he created much of the Denver Skyline with his major projects being the Courthouse Square and May D and F Parabola, Denver’s Botanic and Cheesman Gardens; St. Luke’s Hospital and the U.S. West Zuni Complex. He was also co-inventor of the award-winning BirdieBall.

He was a generous and loving patriarch who forged a clear path for many to follow. He was loved and will be missed by all those who his life touched.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Virginia (Driscoll) Breaker; one daughter, Kathryn Breaker; and sons John Vincent (Sara Daffie) Breaker, William Joseph (Christine Baught) Breaker and Michael Richard Breaker, all of Golden; grandchildren Kelly (Albrecht) Lewis, Kirk Albrecht, Elizabeth (Breaker) Courtney, Amy Kathryn Breaker, Kathryn Ann Breaker, John Vincent Breaker Jr., Lauren Nicole (Breaker) McGann, Emily Ann Breaker, Hailey Loraine Breaker, Nicholas Beau Breaker and Claire Marie Breaker; one great-granddaughter, Nora Albrecht; two sisters, Marjoire Baird and Patricia (Harold) Coover, both of Denver; and sister-in-law Kathleen Driscoll, Williamsburg.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Clara, his mother, in 2013 at the age of 106 years; and his brothers-in-law Wayne Baird and John V. (Jack) Driscoll.

The Williamsburg Journal Tribune, Iowa County Obituaries, 26 Sept 2013