Ronald Christopher “Chris” Dinges, age 66, of Golden, Colorado —
husband, father, grandfather, entrepreneur, and outdoorsman — passed
away on Monday, January 25, 2021, following an extended illness. His
family is grateful for the compassionate care provided by the staff of
Saint Joseph Hospital and Collier Hospice Center.
Chris was born on December 30, 1954, in Hays, Kansas to Leroy “Butch” and
Elizabeth “Betty” (Schnatterly) Dinges. He graduated from Hays High
School with the Class of 1972.
After spilling beer in her hair at the Club Three in Hays, he charmed
and married Sara Jo Marshall on June 26, 1976, in the Congregational
Church in Stockton, Kansas. They welcomed their only child, a daughter,
Jennifer Lynn, on December 20, 1978, in Hays.
Their love of Colorado was solidified during many motorcycle and camping
trips, and the family moved to Morrison, Colorado in 1980. Chris later
found his dream home in the foothills of Golden, with land for horses
and a grandiose view of the Continental Divide. He spent the next
decades camping, fishing, hunting, horseback and motorcycle riding,
canoeing, and pontoon boating in every corner of the state, and
especially enjoyed the Flat Tops Wilderness Area.
His childhood love of tinkering and engines lead him to a career in the
motorcycle industry, first in Hays, and then in the Denver Metro area.
He was a brilliant mechanic, “so smart in a motor.” As the Lakewood
Honda Service Manager, he brought the dealership many excellence awards,
while being teased for having the cleanest mechanic’s hands in the
land. He was also the skilled rider heading into the sunset in some
Honda commercials.
He started his own shop, Foothills Cycles, in 1990, first featuring used
bikes and custom show Harleys, and then gaining the BMW franchise in
1995. With the support of family, friends and staff, he built it to be
the top BMW dealership in the U.S. for several years, for which he was
rewarded with many accolades and fun vacations. His crowning glory were
some European trips, riding motorcycles on the Autobahn through Germany
and Austria with Sara on the back. Those were years of long work hours
as a family, but many Gordos burritos, Black Angus steaks, and Lyle
Lovett concerts shared after they closed up shop for the night.
His additional talents as a horse farrier and rider, heavy machine
operator, gun history aficionado and hunter, big fish storyteller,
Saturday Night Fever singer, and Sunday morning omelette maker will be
remembered and admired.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Cliff; his best friend, Sam
Mongeau; his wife, Sara, in 2006, after 30 years of marriage; his
mother-in-law, Ruth Marshall; and his father, Leroy.
Surviving family includes his daughter, Jennifer Minch (Andy) and
granddaughter, Locke Sara, of Bend, Oregon; his mother, Betty Dinges, of
Hays; nine siblings, Terri Rupp (Bruce), Hays, Rick (Dorene) Fruita,
CO, Sharon Wasinger (Roxie Whitmer), Pueblo West, CO, Mary Jane Arnhold
(Tim), Loveland, CO, Michelle Dietrich (Fred), Wamego, KS, Lucy Barnes
(Howard), Julie Rider (Kurt), and Betsy Forinash (Brian), all of Hays;
his brother-in-law, Paul Marshall (Deb), Great Bend, KS; 24 nieces and
nephews; his beloved dog, Beemer, and horses, Drifter and Callahan.
A private memorial will be scheduled at a later date when it is safe to travel and gather.