Leonard Simon Joeris

Obituary On Thursday, February 8, 2018, Leonard Simon Joeris Jr., age 72, of Fort Collins, Colorado, passed away. He was involved in a one car accident due to heart complications while driving. Len was born on July 11, 1945 in Abilene, Texas to Helen and Leonard Joeris, Sr. He grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1962 while he was a junior in high school, he won the National Science Fair by building a bubble chamber, which is a way to photograph subatomic particle interactions. This was only 3 years after the Nobel Prize was awarded for its invention. He studied physics at the University of Michigan then spent several years in Africa with his father, who did fisheries work for the United Nations. Living in Florida he enjoyed backpacking in the Appalachian Mountains, semi-professional auto racing, writing for outdoor magazines and canoeing flat & whitewater. He transferred his love for nature into community activism on environmental issues and then a career in environmental engineering. He moved to Beaumont, Texas where he married Kathleen Dollard, and had two children. They moved to Fort Collins in 1992, where he lived ever since. He married Helen Rajala in 2001. This expanded his family to include Helen's children. He maintained his love of the outdoors throughout his life. During frequent camping and backpacking trips with his family, he went to great effort to create amazing experiences. From elaborate "tarp cities", to gourmet outdoor cooking, he took joy in creating home-away-from-home. He learned to ski in Michigan and taught his children skiing from a young age. He continued canoeing every summer on the lake behind his house. He enjoyed travel and trips were meticulously planned, with large spreadsheets and detailed itinerary. When the family gathered for parties, he would create delicious barbeque, taking great care to meet every dietary restriction. Len shared his love of science and engineering by volunteering with Science Olympiad, a team-based science competition for students. Drawing from his woodworking experience, he became very interested in balsa wood building events. After his children graduated, his involvement grew from a helping parent to a coach & mentor. He was very active on the Science Olympiad forums, and shared knowledge & experience with students around the country. He was excited to be organizing the balsa wood events at Science Olympiad Nationals, to be held in Fort Collins this year. He is survived by his wife Helen Rajala (66), and children: Ben Joeris (30), Jean Joeris (26), Justin Rajala (37), and Ian Rajala (35). He is also survived by his grandchildren Kairi Rajala (9) and Lili Rajala (5). His loss is deeply felt and he will be missed by the many people whose lives he touched. SERVICES Memorial Service Wednesday, February 14, 2018 2:00 PM Windsong Estate 2901 Saddler Blvd Severence, Colorado Read More Services You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Leonard Simon Joeris