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1998











HOUSE MEMORIAL 98-1003

BY REPRESENTATIVES Taylor, K. Alexander, C. Berry, G. Berry, Dyer, George, Miller, Smith, Sullivant, Adkins, Agler, Allen, Anderson, Arrington, Bacon, Chavez, Clarke, Dean, Entz, Epps, Faatz, Gordon, Gotlieb, Grampsas, Grossman, Hagedorn, Hefley, S. Johnson, June, Kaufman, Keller, Kreutz, Lawrence, Leyba, Mace, May, McElhany, McPherson, Morrison, Musgrave, Nichol, Owen, Pankey, Paschall, Pfiffner, Reeser, Romero, Salaz, Saliman, Schauer, Sinclair, Snyder, Spradley, Swenson, Takis, Tate, Tool, Tucker, Tupa, Udall, Veiga, S. Williams, T. Williams, Young, and Zimmerman.


WHEREAS, By the Will of Divine Providence, our former member, the Honorable Bill Gossard, departed this life on November 14, 1997, at the age of 83; and

WHEREAS, Bill Gossard was born on December 6, 1913, in Chicago, Illinois, and later was a second­generation Colorado rancher; and

WHEREAS, Bill Gossard served his country in the army in World War II, where he was awarded the Bronze Star, earned a Member of the British Empire medal from the United Kingdom, and was cited by King Olaf of Norway for outstanding assistance in the resistance effort; and

WHEREAS, Bill Gossard moved to the Craig, Colorado, area in 1950, where he managed the 33,000­acre Gossard ranch for 32 years; and



WHEREAS, Bill Gossard served his community and the state of Colorado for many years as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Supervisors of the Yampa Soil Conservation District, the Colorado Water Congress, the Colorado River Water Users Association,

the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee, and the Colorado Wheat Advisory Committee, as the President of the Yellow Jacket Water Conservancy District, and was appointed by Governor John Love to represent Colorado on the Upper Colorado River Compact Commission consisting of Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, and Colorado; and

WHEREAS, Representative Gossard was elected to serve in the Colorado House of Representatives in 1960 where he served four terms of office; and

WHEREAS, As a member of the House of Representatives, Representative Gossard served as chairman of the House State Affairs committee as well as serving on the Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources committee, the Transportation and Highways committee, and chairing the Highway Users Tax Fund Committee and the Committee on the Criminally Insane; and

WHEREAS, In 1970, Representative Gossard was the Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives for the 4th Congressional District; and

WHEREAS, Following a 1982 move to Denver, Bill Gossard served on the board of the Central City Opera House Association where he played a significant role in its recovery and success, for which he was designated chairman emeritus by the board of directors when he retired; and

WHEREAS, Bill Gossard served as a trustee for the Denver Symphony Association and served as a board member when it became the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in 1992; and

WHEREAS, Bill Gossard served on the steering committee for the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District and was an influence in getting the bill passed by the Metro District electorate. He supported many other cultural organizations, including the Colorado Symphony Association, the Central City Opera Association, the Heritage Society of the Colorado Historical Society, and the National Wildflower Center; and



WHEREAS, In the death of Bill Gossard, the people of the state of Colorado have lost an outstanding citizen and a devoted public servant; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Sixty­first General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

That we, the members of the Colorado House of Representatives, hereby pay tribute to Bill Gossard for his contributions to the people of the state of Colorado whom he served well and faithfully.

Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of this Memorial be sent to Representative Gossard's wife Carol and his sister Gloria Gossard.


_________________________ _________________________

Judith M. Rodrigue Charles E. Berry

CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

OF REPRESENTATIVES OF REPRESENTATIVES