Maurice Eugene Rupel

Maurice Eugene Rupel, a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, was greatly loved and respected by all who knew him. His kindness, generosity, and compassion were well known. He passed on to the loving arms of his Lord on May 5, 2023. Maurice (Mauri) was an adventurer who gave his heart to the greatest adventure of all, humbly sacrificing his life, time, and resources to raising his children. Mauri was born on September 26, 1925, in South Bend, Indiana to Mary and Alexis Rupel. He was the youngest of twelve children and in 1943 became the seventh son of his family to enlist during World War II. After high school graduation in 1943 he joined the Navy as a Naval Aviation Cadet, but the war ended before he completed his aviation training. His older brother Ted convinced him to go west, and Mauri graduated from Colorado A & M in 1948 with a civil engineering degree. He was a Registered Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor. As a young man, he contributed to the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, worked in Wyoming, and was on the team that built Thule Air Base in Greenland. In 1952 he married Mary Tamplen and raised six children while working in Texas for the next twenty years. In 1971 he moved his family to his beloved Colorado. Always serving others first, he and Mary moved back to Texas for a short while to take care of his mother-in-law. After that, Mauri and Mary remained in Colorado where Mauri eventually retired from the City of Fort Collins in 1986. During his life, Mauri served many others in various ways including the Knights of Columbus, other parish organizations, parent-teacher organizations, and the Boy Scouts. He was a dedicated fan of the University of Notre Dame and Colorado State University, but his heart belonged to Mary and his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Mauri’s faith was not a “resounding gong or a clashing cymbal” (1 Cor 13:1) but a subtle and powerful force for love. He set the example for all of us in love and civility. We will remember his patience, kindness, forbearance, hope and endurance. Mauri was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Mary, and his son, the Reverend Lawrence Rupel. He is survived by three daughters and two sons and their spouses: Rosemarie and Gary Hirsch, Lt Col Pat and Norma Rupel, Dr. Ray Rupel, D.O. and Dr. Joanne Vitanza, M.D., Kay Bloedorn, and Anne and Dr. Mark DeMaria, PhD. In addition, he is survived by ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.