Joel Leonard Messmer was born on September 11, 1963, and he passed away on Saturday, August 15, 2020.
He was a proud graduate of the University of North Dakota, and he continued to cheer for the UND hockey team every chance he could. In 1992, Joel settled in Colorado, and it was the perfect place for him to land. He enjoyed adventures in the mountains and being a loyal fan of the Broncos and the Avalanche. Joel loved his job at the Colorado Lottery where he was a retail development manager at the time of his death.
But everyone knew, above all else, Joel treasured his family. He grew up in Dickinson, North Dakota and shared great stories about his loving parents and his escapades with eight siblings.
At a party in 1998, he met his future family of Sheila and Claire. He flashed his bright smile and asked if he could hold baby Claire so that Sheila could get herself something to eat. That was Joel. He was genuinely kind and always went out of his way for others. Sheila fell for his kind heart, positive nature, and caring attitude. They were married on October 16, 1999 surrounded by their family and friends at Christ the King Catholic Church in Denver. When on their honeymoon in Hawaii, Joel told Sheila he predicted he was going to be the father of girls. He was right! Grace was born shortly after. Joel was an incredibly proud husband and father. His love of Sheila, Claire and Grace was his greatest source of pride.
We will miss the twinkle in his eye. We will miss the way he loved to laugh and was quick with a joke. We will miss his attention to the tiniest detail – like the way he turned his love of cooking into a craft. We will miss his laughter when he shared his positive outlook with his family and his friends.
Joel is survived by his wife, Sheila Messmer and daughters Claire and Grace Messmer of Aurora, Colorado. He is survived by his siblings: Kathy Hoyt, Jeff Messmer, Bev Tooley, his twin sister Jonella Snyder, Nadine Scranton, Dana Messmer, and Tina Krieg. He is preceded in death by his brother Syd Messmer and his parents Ernie and Pauline Messmer.
A memorial service will be held at St. Michael the Archangel in Aurora, Colorado on Thursday, August 20, 2020. Due to COVID restrictions, the service is by invitation only. Please feel free to send flowers to St. Michael’s for a 10:30 am service.
