Darrell Donald Ahlers

Darrell Donald Ahlers was born on October 10th, 1960 in Dell Rapids, South Dakota and passed away suddenly at the age of 64 in Lakewood, Colorado. Darrell grew up on a small town family farm with his 5 siblings and developed an early interest in all things related to nature and wildlife. This interest led him to earn a degree in Wildlife Biology at South Dakota State University, and later to work with the Bureau of Land Management in New Mexico and the National Park Service at Chiricahua National Monument and Fort Bowie in Arizona. There his best friend Vic Grizzle gave him the nickname "Smoke" for his work on project fires, a moniker that some still use to this day. He continued to work as a back-country and wildland firefighter, which was where he met his future wife Edith. Their engagement took them to Edith's former stomping grounds in New England, where they were married outdoors with the vibrancy of nature surrounding them. It was around this time that Darrell obtained a position as a Wildlife Biologist with the US Bureau of Reclamation, requiring him and his new bride to relocate to Denver. He rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the lead of numerous projects researching habitat loss of endangered bird species in New Mexico. This was also where many of his coworkers became his closest friends thanks to their shared love of hunting, fishing, and the protection of all of nature's beauty. He retired after 33 years of federal service, and continued to dedicate an astonishing amount of effort towards woodworking, his taxidermy business, and to traveling the world with his wife. It was during one of these trips where he experienced a pulmonary embolism, which led to complications contributing to his death shortly after returning home. He was preceded in death by his parents Don and Elaine, and is survived by his wife Edith, his two children Zachary and Ella, and his 5 siblings: Donna Jean, Sharon, Richard, Carol, and Susan. A private Mass for Christian Burial will be held, followed by burial at Mount Lindo cemetery. A Celebration of Life for family and friends will be held at the Evergreen Memorial Park barn in Evergreen, Colorado on October 15th, 2025 at 1 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, or the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.