Donald Everett Dillehay; beloved husband, father, grandfather, teacher, coach, friend, and Brush community member passed peacefully surrounded by family on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. He was 73 years old. He was born February 15, 1945, in Imperial, NE to Dwight & Thelma Dillehay

Don lived in Wuaneta, NE with his family until they moved to Sterling, CO in 1955. Don graduated from Sterling High School and attended college at Western State College in Gunnison from 1963- 1967. He moved back to Sterling where he taught in the Sterling school district from 1967-1969. He returned to Gunnison in 1969 and received his Masters Degree in 1970. Afterward he moved to Brush where he taught jr. high, then high school social studies for 35 years. Upon retiring, Don continued his interest in education and volunteered for a couple of years at Riverview Christian School. Don had a passion for kids. He loved teaching, and especially coaching. He and a colleague founded the non-profit organization Blue Horizons, serving youth in Morgan County . As president of Blue Horizons Don coached many Special Olympics sports and organized various activities including but not limited to art shows, music programs, motivational speakers, sporting events, science programs, as well as writing workshops and contests.

During his coaching career, Don worked with the BHS basketball and baseball sports programs. He was instrumental in starting the BHS baseball team and in 1991 this BHS Baseball Team won the State 3A championship. He was honored as baseball "Coach of the Year" for all classifications in Colorado that year. Don also worked with the Brush Summer Recreation Program for many years coaching youth and the high school baseball teams . Don was a Brush Beet Digger through and through and was also very successful in coaching basketball, being part of several winning teams that were in the state playoffs as well as state championships.

On June 24, 1988, Don married Kristi Cook in Brush. He was very involved in his church, the Brush United Methodist Church, as he served on the board, taught adult Sunday school, and held various other positions . Don served on the RE2-J school board for 2 terms, and volunteered on the board of the Brush Museum & Cultural Center for several years. Don's passion was sports and music. When younger he played drums in a few different bands including performing with his father, Dwight. He loved the Beach Boys, Doobie Brothers, Chicago and many rock and roll bands.   He especially enjoyed going to the mountains to fish.

Survivors include his wife, Kristi of Brush: 4 sons, Paul and wife Ingrid of Greeley, CO; Lee of Las Vegas, NV; Rick and wife Cindy of Weldona, CO and Shawn and wife Kelle of Sidney, NE; 9 grandchildren , Dillon, Derrick, Julia, Lynae, Kimberley, Megan, Tia, Jaeden and Ryan as well as two great-grandchildren, Hope and Olivia. He was preceded in death by his sister, Karen, and his parents.

A Celebration of Life service will be Saturday, April 14, 2018, at the Brush High School Gym at 1:30 PM. The service will conclude at the school. Family prefers memorial gifts to Blue Horizons or to the Don Dillehay Memorial Fund both c/o the Heer Mortuary, 222 Cameron Street, Brush, CO 80723.