Joseph "Joe" Merle Lefferdink

Joseph “Joe” Merle Lefferdink passed away from natural causes on February 16, 2023, at his home in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Joe was born April 3, 1968, to Greg and Gladi Lefferdink in Boulder, Colorado. His connections to Boulder were strong. Joe was named after his great-uncle Merle Lefferdink who was vice principal and a coach at Boulder High School. He was raised in the close-knit community and thrived in Boulder among family and friends. Joe was a 1986 graduate of Fairview High School.

Anyone who met Joe quickly discovered that the two most important people in his life were his sons, Noah (19) and Micah (16). Joe was a proud and devoted father. When the boys played baseball, they took sports-related trips together with their dad. Joe always found special activities outside of the tournaments to make the experiences more memorable. As the boys’ interests changed, Joe was supportive of all aspects of their lives. Most recently they enjoyed daily trips to the gym and attending weight-lifting competitions together. Joe and his former spouse, Cindy Chaney, remained friends as they raised their sons to be the kind and amazing young men they are today.

Joe’s favorite place to be was on his bike. In the summer of 2022, he participated in the 78-mile Mad Gravel race in Kiowa, the Mt. Evans Hill Climb, and the Triple Bypass. Joe trained hard, always striving to beat his previous race times. During the off-season, he rode 100 miles per week on his Peloton or on the road. These accomplishments are all the more impressive because Joe beat stage III throat cancer in 2020.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from CU Denver, Joe’s career focused on managing operations, people, and projects for Savage Services, Iron Woman Construction and Environmental Services, and Hulcher Services. He was adept at handling complex logistics and built strong partnerships with vendors and customers.

Joe was known for his kindness to others in every interaction. He made a profound impact on his co-workers, customers, biking community, friends, and family. He went out of his way to make people feel special. Joe modeled a life of integrity, which his boys display in their lives, too.

Joe was preceded in death by his mother, Gladeane “Gladi” Lefferdink. His father James Gregory “Greg” Lefferdink passed away the day after Joe died. Joe is survived by his sons Noah and Micah, his beloved dog Oly, his sister Leslie Lefferdink Gardner, nephew Ben Romsdahl, niece Kayla Gardner, and great-niece, Maeve Davenport.

The family will be holding a memorial service at Atonement Lutheran Church, 685 Inca Parkway, Boulder, CO 80303, on March 1, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. All are welcome to stay for a reception following the service.

Joe’s pride and joy were his boys. In lieu of flowers, consider making a contribution to the boys’ education through this GoFundMe account