January 30, 1931 – June 10, 2024
On June 10, Rex Allen Coffman, 93, passed away at the Sopris Lodge in Carbondale. He was surrounded by his family in the hours previous to his passing. Family was important to him, and the family lived by the code: “Work hard, play hard!”
Rex, an only child, was born on Jan. 30, 1931 to Rollo “Chick” and Flo Mamie Coffman 20 miles north of Stewart, Nebraska. He attended school in Stewart from elementary through high school with 20 classmates, who later became lifelong friends. They celebrated with class reunions many times, one of which he hosted at the ranch.
He was active in sports including football and track. In fact, he used to challenge his sons to races because he still had that urge to go fast.
At 16, he began studies at the University of Nebraska in Animal Husbandry, knowing that ranching was in his future. During college, he was a member of ROTC. Upon graduation in 1952, he married JoAnn Gwendolyn Knotts, then entered into the army as a second lieutenant.
He spent several months in Korea before his daughter, Kristen, was taken to a children’s hospital with health issues which brought him home. For the remainder of his military service, he was based at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs.
He fell in love with Colorado. He and his father sold their ranch in Nebraska and purchased a ranch in Eagle, Colorado. The family lived there for four years. During that time, their other two children, Doug and Greg, were born. From there, the family moved to Carbondale and bought the ranch where they lived until 2023.
He was a cowboy at heart but had many talents. Rex was a square dance caller and helped teach elementary school kids square dancing during gym class. He even called square dancing at the local 4H Riding Club.
For 15 years on the ranch, he milked cows twice a day and ran a dairy. When his sons went off to college, that gig shut down.
Rex was a rodeo and horse race announcer as well as an auctioneer. He announced many rodeos up and down the Valley, did auctions for many groups and organizations and called the horse races in Rifle at the fairgrounds.
For 25 years, he was the secretary of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, and was a very active member thereof.
On top of working as an appraiser, he owned a real estate agency in Glenwood Springs for a number of years.
Rex and Jo started their retirement in Aransas Pass, Texas. He loved to go fishing on the bay and surf fishing in the Atlantic Ocean off of Mustang Island. After selling that property, they continued their retirement in Sun City West, Arizona, where they parked their RV in their son, Greg’s, backyard before finally purchasing a casita where they resided through the winters for 20 years.
Rex was preceded in death by his parents Rollo and Flo Coffman. He was known as Papa by his great grandchildren. He is survived by his children, Kristen Melsen, Doug Coffman (Julie) and Greg Coffman (Christel), his only granddaughter, Lindsay Coffman (Suz), and his great grandchildren, Bowen and Josephine Coffman.
Rex and Jo’s pride, along with their children, was selling their ranch to Aspen Valley Land Trust and securing a conservation easement that will preserve the ranch for generations to come. That was his wish: to keep the land in its natural state for others to enjoy.
Please make donations to Aspen Valley Land Trust in his name at www.avlt.org
A celebration of life will be held on Aug. 10 at 10am at Coffman Ranch, 1837 County Road 100, outside of Carbondale.