Joseph Patrick Quinlan, 75, known to everyone who loved him as Pat, died peacefully in his home after a year-long battle with cancer on December 5, 2025. 

Pat was born to Daniel and Frances Quinlan in Lynnwood, California, on June 29, 1950. He was the third of five children. He had two older brothers, Danny and Paul, and two younger sisters, Kathleen and Ann. His childhood in San Leandro, California, was filled with stories of his paper route, his large Irish Catholic family, and most importantly spending time with his best friend Dale at his house across from their elementary school. His group of friends with Dale, including Stoner, Marvin, and eventually John “Moose,” remained his friends until the very end. They loved motorcycles and getting into trouble. 

After graduating high school in 1968, he enlisted in the Army. He attended the Monterey Language School to learn Korean. He then spent two years in Korea listening to North Korean troops during the Vietnam war. He always joked that his time in the Army amounted to overhearing, “1 this is 2, 2 this is 1” on repeat for two years. During this time he made wonderful friendships with a diverse group of men, learned Korean that he loved to use at H-Mart or Korean restaurants, and expanded his world view. 

After the army, he used his GI Bill to attend college at San Jose State for a semester before eventually transferring to the University of Colorado in Boulder. He majored in civil engineering. But the real love of this time was his fraternity Chi Psi. He remained friends with many of his fraternity brothers to the end. This time is filled with stories of sneaking beer into football games while pretending a brother was in a wheel chair, throwing parties in their house, and playing rec baseball. He graduated in 1977. 

After college, he worked as a surveyor on a ship for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association (NOAA). This time is filled with stories of docking ships, meeting fascinating people, and seeing so many places. Every vacation Pat took would include a stop to see one of his survey markers. 

In an economic slump, life took Pat back to Denver in the early 1980s. He started work for the Denver Water Department. He was a water rights engineer, who frequently testified in court as an expert witness. Here again, he made lifelong friends. However, he hated the bureaucracy of the government, so left the department in 1989 to become an independent civil engineer consultant. 

In 1987, he met Judy through a dating service. They were engaged by summer 1988 and married that fall. They moved into a little house that Pat owned in North Denver on Perry Street. 

In 1991, his daughter Maureen was born and just a few weeks later, he and Judy bought B&F Heating, an HVAC company. Pat had always wanted to be his own boss, so they took the risk to open a small business. Unfortunately, the summer of 1992 was the coldest on record in Denver, so the business struggled for a few years. By the time Maureen was a tween, the business thrived and grew to include Coffman and Co. and Precision Air. At the height, Pat employed 75 people and operated three buildings. He was known as a fair, kind, and tough boss. He always did right by his employees and had stories about the many characters who came through Coffman’s doors. He employed several friends and family members to work summers at the business over the years. Many of us learned important life lessons in this job working for Pat. 

Pat was an excellent father who would chaperone field trips, come to every school performance or gathering, and entertain Maureen and her friends with his sense of humor. He especially loved his backyard pool in the summertime. He loved welcoming his friends, neighbors, and Maureen’s friends, to splash around, have a drink by the bocce court, and enjoy Judy’s cooking. 

Pat and Judy sold their HVAC business in January of 2020. They then planned to travel the world, but Covid prevented them from getting too far. Eventually, they spent the past few years seeing much of Canada, England, Alaska, and driving his electric car from Denver to Rochester, New York. 

Pat was a fierce liberal who believed in helping others, in championing diversity, uplifting minority groups, advocating for the environment, and donating to causes like the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. His greatest charitable cause was The Land Institute, which is developing perennial crops for a sustainable future. 

Pat loved Western art. Anyone who visited his home could see many of his favorite paintings and sculptures. He loved to travel and learn new things about other cultures. He and Judy traveled to many parts of the world for his Colorado Senior Old Boys rugby tournaments. He loved Irish Setters, having owned 6 in his life: Eric, Malone, Bridie, Bailey, Bluey, and Rooney. He loved classical music, old movies, jazz, history, reading books, reading the news, and cars.

He was an Irishman to the core, enjoying his nightly glass of whiskey, sunburning quickly, and enjoying a good story to the end. He will be remembered for his generosity, deep and loyal friendship, and his blunt sense of humor. 

Pat was preceded in death by his mother and father and brother Paul. He is survived by his brother Dan, sisters Kathleen and Ann, and his wife Judy and daughter Maureen. 

We will host an Irish wake in the spring. In lieu of flowers, you can give a donation to The Land Institute in his honor