Richard Lynn Plattner

Rick Plattner was born on September 29, 1949 in Sabetha, KS where he grew up in a small town helping his dad around the farm. In 1966, at just 17 years old, he entered into the U.S. Army and was stationed at Ft. Dix, NJ then Leavenworth, KS with a final deployment to Seattle, WA. During his service, he spent several months in Germany guarding the East and West German borders. While in Seattle, he discovered his favorite spot to fish, Bill’s Boat House. He loved catching sharks to help bait larger fish and frequented the oyster beds where he developed a love for eating raw oysters.

After his time in the army, Rick went back to Kansas but later moved to Colorado Springs, CO. Here he worked as a carpet installer for JC Penny and loved sharing his war stories with customers. If anyone knows Rick, they know he loved telling his stories. Eventually he moved to Denver to be closer to a friend and began a career in the parts department at a local dealership followed by a position with the Federal Government. Finally, in 1991, Rick found his passion as a school bus driver where he spent 18 years driving for the Boulder Valley School District before retiring in 2009. He adored every kid he drove and still talked about them nearly two decades later.

On Thanksgiving night in 1976, Rick met his future wife (Debbie) while cruising downtown Denver on 16th Street. She was impressed by his custom painted van and found herself on a date with him the following night. Within one year they were married and would spend the next 46 years together. They have two daughters and two grandchildren who currently reside in Texas. He also has 9 fur babies between the 3 families.

Rick was fond of traveling and enjoyed sightseeing throughout the U.S. He loved beach combing with his daughters to look for unusual items that washed up on the shore. He was a master at fixing things and loved taking on new challenges. His wife says there wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix and even excelled at helping his daughters complete special school projects. In his later years, he spent his time reading about a wide range of topics, searching the internet for his next book to read, and watching his favorite YouTube channels.

He is survived by his wife Debbie; daughters Danielle (Chris) and Rachelle (Ryan) with their two children Elliot and Joanna. His sister Jan (Mike) and brother Steve (Becky). Numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents Benjamin and Mary Plattner.

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