Glen Marler

Glen Marler, 98, died peacefully November 2, 2022, with his family by his side in Pagosa Springs. A resident of Durango for 68 years, Glen will be remembered as the loving patriarch of his family and a kind, caring, and generous man.

Glen was born in Rock Castle County, Ky. on July 6, 1924, as the eldest of seven siblings. He spent his early childhood working on his grandfather’s farm in Kentucky. At the age of 10, Glen moved with his family to Grand Junction where he attended school and sold newspapers in his spare time to support the family. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Glen moved back to Kentucky to work on his grandfather’s farm and continue attending high school. Glen enlisted in the US Army out of Cincinnati, Ohio on June 7, 1943. Almost exactly one year later, Glen landed on Utah Beach in Normandy France as part of the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. Glen served in northern France, central Europe, and the Battle of the Bulge as part of the 453^rd Anti-Aircraft Battalion.

After returning from the war, Glen moved back to Grand Junction where he began working for City Market. Soon after, Glen met the love of his life, Anna Bell Lambert, and they married December 17, 1949. They started their family in Grand Junction with the birth of their sons Rodney Allen Marler in 1952, and Chris Eugene Marler in 1954. The owners of City Market came to Glen with an opportunity to establish a new store in Durango, and in 1954, Glen and Anna Bell moved their young family to the Crestview neighborhood. Glen opened the first City Market store in Durango located at 14^th and Main Ave with several other business partners. He worked for City Market for 42 years first as a clerk, then as assistant manager, and later the store manager. Glen worked long hours to support his family and was proud of his career, and his role in providing a service to the community.

Glen retired in 1988 and enjoyed 34 years of retirement at his home in Durango. Often, he could be found walking his pug, Mugsy, around the neighborhood while wearing his blue University of Kentucky ballcap. His hobbies included fishing, traveling, collecting coins, and following the stock market. One of his greatest joys was spending time with the four generations of his family and he never missed a birthday gift for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Glen was humble, he was fiercely independent, and he was a survivor. His worldview shaped by his experience living through the Great Depression, World War II, and the modernization of this country gave him a perspective of our changing world that was unparalleled. Knowing Glen was truly an honor.

He is survived by his son Rod; brother Kenneth Marler; sister Charlene Richards; grandchildren Holly Metzler, Sean Marler, Sasha Howard-Dent, and Justin Marler; and his many great-grandchildren. Glen will be buried at the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado in Grand Junction and memorial services will be held December 3 at 10 a.m. at Hood Mortuary in Durango. In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be made in memory of Glen and his love for animals to the La Plata County Humane Society, please use the link below.