Gilbert Benjamin Torrez was born on November 11, 1944 to George and Teresita Torrez of Mountainair, NM. He was the youngest of eleven children. In 1947, the family started annual trips to Colorado for work and settled in the Brush area in 1949. Gilbert graduated from Fort Morgan High School in 1963 and then entered the military and actively served from 1965-1967. He worked around Morgan County until beginning his 26 year career with the Colorado Department of Transportation where he retired in 2009. During those years he raised two sons from his first marriage, supported Brush Beetdigger athletics and local coffee shops. He also expanded his family to include a new wife and treated her five children as his own. When he wasn't having coffee or cheering on teams, he could often be found driving the roads of Morgan County.  "The Boss" will be missed greatly.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Helen Torrez, son Michael (Trish) Torrez of Fort Collins, son Matthew (Patti) Torrez of Centerville, IA, son Mike Reyes Jr. of San Diego, CA, daughter Lisa Lopez of Fort Morgan, daughter Julianne (Phillip) Cummings of Waco, TX, 12 grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.

He is also survived by his sisters Mary Franco and Polly Contreras and brother Luciano of Fort Morgan, and brother Margarito of Brush.

Gilbert was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Lina Guzman and Eloisa Jimenez, brothers Mario, Benny, Joe, and George, two children, Robert Reyes and Elizabeth Reyes, and one great granddaughter, Claire Cummings.

No services have been scheduled at this time.