Gilford Duggan

Gilford (Gip) Earl Duggan (74) of Northglenn, CO, passed away the morning of February 14, 2019, after a long illness. Gip was born July 2, 1944, to Gilford (Cactus Face) and Mary C. (Hunt) Duggan in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He grew up on a farm in Nicoma Park, Oklahoma, attended Choctaw High School where he played football for the Choctaw Yellow Jackets. In 1962 Gip was named to the Oklahoma All-Star Football team playing for the North in the position of right tackle. He was also chosen to play in the All America High School Football Classic, Cotton Bowl for the South team. That fall he was inducted into the Air Force and stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, where he served four years playing football for the Air Force Warhawks, as an instructor in M-16 weapons training, and performing other duties. Gip attended Oklahoma State University receiving his Bachelor’s degree and doing some graduate coursework. After college, he spent many years in property management and the hospitality industry, scoping out the best locations for hotels/motels to develop, then developing and managing them; running apartment complexes, and turning troubled properties around. In 1992, Gip married Carlina Johnson. They lived much of their life together in Summit County, CO where their mutual love of the mountains and nature flourished. Gip’s love of animals frequently resulted in a menagerie of visitors to their house for a free meal or a bit of treat. With his competitive nature, it was not long until Gip found himself back in the arena of sports. He began powerlifting competitively in 1997 and did not let events and health issues slow him down. Coming back from a quadruple bypass and again a later rotator cuff repair, Gip set the national record for Bench Press in his age and weight class in 2007, with a lift of 468.75 pounds. Gip was well-known for his big personality and sense of humor, often bringing a smile to the faces of those around him. Gip is survived by his wife of 27 years, Carlina Ann (Johnson) Duggan; daughter Dana (Duggan) Arenson and son-in-law Murray Arenson of Colorado Springs, CO; step-son James Evan and daughter-in-law Jennifer Lockwood of Westminster, CO; step-daughter Catherine Margaret and son-in-law Brian Hyde of Dillon, CO; sister Sharon (Duggan) Martin of Harrah, OK; and three grandchildren: Alyssa and Ariana Arenson, and Noah James Lockwood. He was preceded in death by his parents Gilford (Cactus Face) Duggan in 1974 and Mary C. (Hunt) Duggan in 2002; and daughter Jacqueline M. Duggan in 2004.