Joseph Van Alstyne, Sr

Obituary Joseph A. Van Alstyne Sr. went to be with the Lord on November 14, 2017. He was 86 years old. Born in Canon City, Colorado, on March 18, 1931, Joe graduated from the Holy Cross Abbey, also in Canon City. He was proud of his Colorado roots and enjoyed sharing stories about his Colorado experiences with family and friends. A devout Catholic his entire life, he was a member of the Corpus Christi parish in Colorado Springs for over 50 years. In addition to his strong faith and Colorado pride, he was a devoted Broncos fan and cheered the team on no matter how well their season went. Joe lived a renaissance life, with careers that varied from saddle shop owner to civil service work to auto mechanic. He loved cars and fishing and was a well-known trivia hunter who was curious about everything, especially history. In his later years, Joe traveled extensively with his wife Lieselotte, visiting places like Germany, Holland, Italy, Mount Rushmore, and the Durango Silverton Railway just to name a few. Outside of his family, Joe's greatest passion was music. He played the upright bass for many years and was a member of "The Twilighters" music group, where big band music, waltzs, and polkas were on the playlist. Even during his later years, he could always sing the lyrics of many a classic tune. While Joe faced vision challenges for much of his life, he did not allow that to keep him down. He always found a way to persevere and even thrive no matter where he was or what he was doing. That, along with his infectious sense of humor, helped make him an inspiration to all who met him. Joe is preceded in death by his parents Harry and Mae Van Alstyne, his sister Sr. Dorothy Van Alstyne, and his first wife Mary Van Alstyne. He leaves behind his wife Lieselotte; his sister Betty Chess; his children Gale Titus, Sherrie Nordstrom (Barry), Becky Tomek (Mark), Joe Van Alstyne Jr. (Linda), and Theresa Coe (Lyell); eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. Viewing will be held at Cappadona Funeral Home at 1020 E. Fillmore Street, Colorado Springs, 80907, on Tuesday November 21, 2017 from 5pm-7pm. A Catholic mass will be held at Corpus Christi Church at 2318 N. Cascade Avenue, 80907, on Wednesday November 22, 2017 at 11am followed by a graveside service at Mountain Vale Cemetery in Canon City. Services Visitation Tuesday November 21, 2017 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Cappadona Funeral Home 1020 E Fillmore St Colorado Springs, CO 80907 Mass of Christian Burial Wednesday November 22, 2017 11:00 AM Corpus Christi Catholic Church 2318 North Cascade Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80907 Graveside Service Wednesday November 22, 2017 2:00 PM Mountain Vale 1700 Chestnut Street Canon City, CO 81212