Mel Vogel

Melvin “Mel” Leroy Vogel, born December 28, 1933 in Paoli, CO passed away Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Raised in Holyoke, Mel was a good student, a good son, and a good brother. He kept a high GPA, while working on his sister’s farm and later playing sports, helping his father, a mason by trade, and working as a gas station attendant. He was interested in student government, becoming class president, played many sports, including baseball, providing an opportunity to play third base for the St. Louis Cardinals minor league. Instead, he decided an education was more important and attended Jr. College in Trinidad, where he played football, acquiring a football scholarship to Western State (currently Colorado Western University), in Gunnison.

While attending Western, he became and still retains the title of undefeated quarterback in a single season for the 1954 football season – a record that still holds today. During his undergraduate program, he met the love of his life, Sally Trine, who was a majorette with the marching band. Sally was a year ahead of Mel, graduating with a BA in Education. During her senior year, she left to student-teach in Ventura CA. Being apart for the next year was difficult, but Mel used the time wisely, completing his BA in Education and later his MA in Education Administration. When Sally returned to Gunnison, they would marry and be together all but 5 days of 65 years.

After graduation, Mel was drafted into the US Army and served as SP5N (Corporal), traveling to such army bases as Ft. Smith in AR and Ft. Sam Houston in TX, while serving his country and Sally would teach at each base to which they were stationed. Eventually, they would settle in Tucson, AZ where Mel would acquire a position at Catalina HS, teaching history and geography, and coaching JV football and basketball. He and Sally would also acquire the most important thing – their daughter. Leeann was adopted at 10 weeks old to the most loving parents imaginable and was the apple of her dad’s eye!

While the family of three spent much of their time together, Mel and Leeann would participate in special father-daughter activities together. They made homemade ice cream, played on swing sets, went fishing, and participated in sports. Mel taught Leeann to ride her tricycle, her bicycle, and later taught her to drive a car. Mel encouraged and supported Leeann while on the track and basketball teams, coming to all her meets and games, supported her singing, attending all her performances, and until she could drive, served as the taxi service for Leeann and her friends. In the summers, the family would pack up the dogs and cat into the camper and travel from Tucson to Holyoke to visit family and to Gunnison to live and work in the family restaurant.

Through the years Mel would receive offers to advance into an administrative role due to his education and experience, but he felt he could best serve as an educator, directly teaching growing minds instead. It was not until he received an offer to become the Social Studies department chair and head basketball coach at the newest school (at the time), Cholla High School, that he took a promotion. 

He enjoyed his role at Cholla HS, becoming a father figure to fatherless kids on his basketball team and meeting those who would later become pro athletes, such as Lafayette “Fat” Lever and teaching/coaching Vance Johnson, who was also his student aide. Leeann would go to basketball practice on weekends and to his basketball games, where the cheerleaders were charged with watching out for her because she was so young. Mel’s love of sports and fitness later led to a partnership with his best friend and fellow coach/fitness enthusiast, with whom he built a local Nautilus gym before leaving Tucson.

As Leeann grew up and spread her wings there would be physical distance between her and her parents, but not the distance of time, as they spoke on the phone several times a week and would spend many visits together. Mel wanted to return to his farming roots, so he and Sally decided to move to Clifton CO to build their new home and plant their orchard. They would have three varieties of apples and far too many tomatoes. They would live in the Grand Valley for 37 years. During that time, Mel became the Mesa County Library branch manager, learning computer skills, allowing him to enjoy witnessing children learn again when students visited the library.

In 2005, Mel would walk Leeann down the aisle to marry Bill Mitchell. Always there for the important moments in her life, he would attend her graduation from Regis University in 2008 in Denver and share some post graduate moments after she acquired her master’s degree in 2012. Over the years the visits became fewer, but they shared a phone call almost every evening.

Then in 2020 tragedy struck and Mel would lose the love of his life, Sally, due to injuries from an auto accident. He would be forced to sell their lovely home and land in Clifton and come to live with Leeann in the Denver area. This was something Leeann had hoped for both of them, as the purchase of a multifamily home was already in progress. Although saddened by all the loss, Mel and Leeann comforted one another during this tough time. Mel enjoyed his new home, particularly the gym and theater, and would thrive there for two years before the post-covid mandate came for Leeann to return to the office, which would leave Mel alone. Still vital and witty, Mel needed company, so he moved to an assisted living apartment and later long-term nursing care, utilizing the gym regularly and making friends along the way before his passing.

Mel joins his wife, Sally Ann (Trine) Vogel, his parents, Albert Christ and Mabel Lola (Schwartz) Vogel, his siblings Hazel Alberts, Mirlan Demmel, Lois Kohrell, Fern Singmaster, and Kenneth Vogel, other family members along with his lifelong friends who preceded him in death.

He is survived by his loving daughter, Leeann Vogel Mitchell and son in-law Bill Mitchell, his sister Fae Lindgren and his loving nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

Mel was cremated and his ashes are next to Sally’s in Leeann’s office, like guardian angels watching over her. No formal services are to be held, but because Mel loved children, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital in his name.