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Retired colonel suffering Alzheimer's found dead
A former commander at the Air Force Academy was found dead over the weekend after he wandered away from his ranch nearly a month ago.
Retired Col. Gary Robert Lorenz Jr., 63, who was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, had been missing since Sept. 24, when he wandered away from his ranch near Cotopaxi, which is on the Arkansas River between Salida and Cañon City.
His two golden retrievers, Merry and Pippen, who left the ranch with him last month, were still guarding his body when a hunter came upon them Saturday, according to Lorenz's daughter, Deanna Lorenz.
Gary Lorenz's body was found about 15 miles from his house, his daughter said. The Fremont County coroner ruled that Lorenz died Sept. 28, four days after he left, of hypothermia and dehydration.
The dogs were thin but otherwise fine, she said.
"Finding his body has brought us closure," she said. "It's a peaceful release. No longer are we wondering if he's wandering around in some city. Now, we can put him to rest properly."
Lorenz had a stellar career in the Air Force. After graduating from the academy in 1967, he became a fighter pilot and flew combat missions in Vietnam onboard F-4 Phantom fighter planes.
He returned to the academy to serve as a squadron commander during the 1986-87 school year. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel and served as deputy commandant of the cadet wing in 1987-88. The following year, he was promoted to colonel and served as vice commandant of cadets, according to academy spokesman John Van Winkle.
In 1990-91, Lorenz served as wing or base commander of Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, from which aircraft supporting Operation Desert Storm were based.
Lorenz retired in 1991. He and his wife, Sandy, who would have celebrated their 40th anniversary in December, moved to Denver after he retired. They had purchased their Cotopaxi property in 1980, built a house there in the 1990s and moved there permanently in 1998.
In addition to his widow and his daughter, Lorenz is survived by a son, John Lorenz, of Denver.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete.
A former commander at the Air Force Academy was found dead over the weekend after he wandered away from his ranch nearly a month ago.
Retired Col. Gary Robert Lorenz Jr., 63, who was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, had been missing since Sept. 24, when he wandered away from his ranch near Cotopaxi, which is on the Arkansas River between Salida and Cañon City.
His two golden retrievers, Merry and Pippen, who left the ranch with him last month, were still guarding his body when a hunter came upon them Saturday, according to Lorenz's daughter, Deanna Lorenz.
Gary Lorenz's body was found about 15 miles from his house, his daughter said. The Fremont County coroner ruled that Lorenz died Sept. 28, four days after he left, of hypothermia and dehydration.
The dogs were thin but otherwise fine, she said.
"Finding his body has brought us closure," she said. "It's a peaceful release. No longer are we wondering if he's wandering around in some city. Now, we can put him to rest properly."
Lorenz had a stellar career in the Air Force. After graduating from the academy in 1967, he became a fighter pilot and flew combat missions in Vietnam onboard F-4 Phantom fighter planes.
He returned to the academy to serve as a squadron commander during the 1986-87 school year. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel and served as deputy commandant of the cadet wing in 1987-88. The following year, he was promoted to colonel and served as vice commandant of cadets, according to academy spokesman John Van Winkle.
In 1990-91, Lorenz served as wing or base commander of Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, from which aircraft supporting Operation Desert Storm were based.
Lorenz retired in 1991. He and his wife, Sandy, who would have celebrated their 40th anniversary in December, moved to Denver after he retired. They had purchased their Cotopaxi property in 1980, built a house there in the 1990s and moved there permanently in 1998.
In addition to his widow and his daughter, Lorenz is survived by a son, John Lorenz, of Denver.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete.