Donald Bruce

Bosley

Donald Bruce Bosley “Boz” was born in Grand Junction, Colorado, on May 1, 1949 to Winifred Leota “Odie” Bosley (Workman) and Maurice Edward Bosley. He had two brothers, Robert Barton and Barry Alan. During his childhood he lived in Boulder, Lincoln (Neb), and Loveland. Vacations were spent visiting relatives in Grand Junction. Hiking and camping in the foothills were cherished memories of the family. He graduated from University of Colorado (CU) with a BA in environmental biology (1972) and Colorado State University (CSU) with an MA in agronomy in 1983. He worked as a CSU Extension Agent in Morgan/Logan counties from 1988-2016. He developed close relationships with many farmers in northeastern Colorado and especially enjoyed working with wheat farmers on research plots for CSU. He also had rich relationships with many research faculty members at the College of Agricultural Sciences at CSU.

He met his future wife Catherine Cowles “Cathy” in 1972 in Boulder in a physics class. They spent many hours hiking and camping in the mountains of Colorado. They were married on December 21, 1975 in Burlington, IA at Cathy’s family home. In his life Bruce developed close friendships with Cathy’s parents and siblings.

Alicia Anne was born in 1983 and Elizabeth “Betsy” Ruth came after in 1985. The family settled in Brush, CO in 1991 after living in Wray and Sterling. They went on memorable vacations visiting national parks, museums and historic sites in multiple US cities, and visiting relatives in the Midwest and Loveland. Bruce was a wonderful father and husband, who enjoyed encouraging the women in his life to pursue their dreams.

Science and faith sustained Bruce throughout his life. He served as an Elder in the Presbyterian Church and enjoyed singing in church choirs. He loved studying the Bible with others. He led many field trips on native plants and Colorado birds. He was a member of the Brush Tree Board and taught Master Gardener and Native Plant Master classes. He was a member of the National Audubon Society and organized the annual Morgan County Christmas Bird Count for ~20 years. He also submitted many dried native plants to the herbariums at the Denver Botanic Gardens, CSU, and CU.

Bruce was an avid game player with family, friends, and online. Late in life Bruce made new friends and learned a new game by becoming part of the euchre group that met in Brush.

Bruce is survived by his wife of 51 years, Cathy, and his daughters Alicia and Betsy (Steve Westerfield); brother Barry (Laurie) of Loveland, CO; grandchildren Andrew, Liam, and Claire; uncle Alan (Judy) of Grand Junction, CO; aunt Jeanne of Blue River, OR; cousins Shawna and Kristin; nieces Gwendolyn, Jessica Jean “JJ”, and Sarah and nephews Nick and Josh.

He is preceded in death by his father Maurice, mother “Odie”, and brother Robert.

A Memorial Service will be held Wednesday, November 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM at the United Presbyterian Church in Fort Morgan.