April 15, 1952 — Oct. 29, 2007
GRAND JUNCTION — April Elizabeth Holwell was born April 15, 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She resided with family in Salt Lake City; Denver, Colo.; Brantford, Ontario Canada and Denver, Colo. She attended Holly Hills Elementary, Cherry Creek Junior High and High School and Saint Mary’s Academy in Englewood, Colo. April started at Western State College in Gunnison where she met husband Paul Emmett. They lived in Jupiter, Fla.; Fayetteville, N.C. and Hartford, Conn. They bore a daughter, Heather Holwell Emmett. April divorced Paul and moved to Winemucca, Nev.; Denver, Colo.; Grenich Village, N.Y. and then moved to Grand Junction, Colo. where she met husband Dana Black. April married Dana on May 12, 1979 and lived in Mesa 1979 to 2007.
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She was manager at Le Chalet at Powderhorn Ski Area and Powderhorn Day Lodge. April worked in the ticket office and directed the Powderhorn summer programs. She maintained excellent organizational skills and was known as one who gets the job done.
Later she was an instructor and pool manager/operator for Hilltop Therapy and Rehabilitation and became a certified pool operator. For several years April was involved with the Powderhorn Handicapped Ski Program and was the Director of Colorado Discoverability, and managed the Annual DAV Ski Olympics at Powderhorn.
April became a Licensed Insurance Agent and worked in that capacity for several years. She juggled many careers at once. Later April was employed at Collbran Job Corps and received numerous awards for her work with the students. Of all her work experience she loved the interaction with the students at the Job Corps and had a sensitive yet no nonsense manner of which gained their respect and admiration. After that, April was employed by the Bureau of Reclamation at the Molina Power Plant.
April and Dana operated a cow/calf/hay ranch in Mesa for the past 28 years in partnership with Hugh and Mary Sieber. April provided support and direction for the ranch which she saw grow to 80 Angus cows. She nursed and cared for many newborn calves in her kitchen and was always ready to help as needed.
April was a friend to so many and she made special relationships with a small and dedicated group of ladies at the Battlement Mesa Activity Center swimming pool.
April loved animals and her latest loves, two miniature Schnauzers, Cosmo and Topper, gave April special joy. She always took pride in her yard and her flower garden never bloomed more beautiful than this past year.
April is survived by husband, Dana Black; daughter, Heather Brizzolara; grandsons, Raiden Arasawa, and Riley Brizzolara; parents Robert and Jacqueline Holwell; sisters, Marilyn Slayton and Janet McCabe; and brothers, Mike and Galen Holwell.
A graveside service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 1:00 p.m., at the Mesa/Molina Cemetery in Mesa, Colo. A reception will follow at the Black residence in Mesa.
Memorial donations in April’s name may be made to the Plateau Valley Fire Protection District, 49084 KE Road, Mesa, CO 81643, or Plateau Valley Hospice and Palliative Care, P.O. Box 294, Collbran, CO 81624.
Arrangements were entrusted to the Snell-McLean Funeral Home, 729 37.3 Rd., Palisade, CO 81526.
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