Carl L Hasselbrink

Carl Hasselbrink, 76, of Salida died Oct. 31, 2022, at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs with family at his side. He had been in failing health for some time. Death was attributed to bacterial pneumonia. He was born May 12, 1946, in Chicago, Illinois, to George and Jean (Erlewein) Hasselbrink. He was active in school sports in his youth, was a senior lifesaver with the YMCA and played bass for a band called the Tru Tones. He joined the U.S. Army in 1963 and received training as a 91C20 clinical specialist. He served in Vietnam, and upon return to the States he was stationed at Fitzsimons General Hospital in 1966. He met his wife, Karen, in Denver. They were married on July 21, 1967, and were married 55 years. Their son, Jeorge “Yogi,” was born in Salida on May 4, 1968, one day after his honorable discharge. The Hasselbrinks settled in Salida, where his parents owned the Ranch House Lodge, and his first job was with Stewart Mortuary. He ran the ambulance for them and became a mortician. He met many of Salida’s “old-timers” and learned a lot about Salida history during his time. Mr. Hasselbrink joined the Jaycees and participated in efforts to purchase the first county ambulance. Chaffee County did not have an ambulance at that time. The funeral home operated an ambulance on the south end of the county and there was no service on the north end. When son Yogi became a Cub Scout, Mr. Hasselbrink became a den leader. He had a passion for photography, and in July 1985 he started Photo Events, taking sports pictures for the newspaper, wedding pictures, portraits and passports. He went to work for Chaffee County when Commissioner Eddie Holman asked him to be the civil defense director. The job of ambulance director was later included. Mr. Hasselbrink turned the ambulance service into a self-supporting enterprise and, as part of his civil defense duties, he implemented GIS (Geographic Information Services) for the county and worked on the census. In 2003 he was named airport manager, and in that position he secured several grants for improvements. He brought ILS (Instrument Landing System) and AWOS (Automated Weather Observation System) to Harriet Alexander Field in Salida. The Colorado Pilots Association voted Harriet Alexander Field the most friendly airport. He was especially proud of his Certificate of Appreciation from Alpha Company United States Army Special Operations Command (Airborne) for exceptional support during a company-level exercise. Veterans and their causes were close to his heart. He was commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 3820 and American Legion Post No. 64, and in the mid-1970s he took over placing American flags on the graves of veterans and continued that until the present. He also participated in Memorial Day services, directing the firing squad and calling cadence in the military flag honor guard. Mr. Hasselbrink joined Salida Elks Lodge No. 808 in 1983 and was active for all of his 39-year membership. He became esquire after his initiation and went through the chairs, becoming exalted ruler for the 1986-87 lodge year. He cooked for special events and brunches, including the Veterans Dinner with Elks National Foundation Funds. When ENF no longer funded the dinner, he took over himself and ran the dinner until 2021. He considered that his special honor to do so. He also served as chairman and trustee of the Lodge, was awarded Elk of the Year, Officer of the Year, Mountain District Officer of the Year and Distinguished Citizenship Award. Among his Elks projects for many years was assisting with the Christmas Basket program providing gifts and food to those in need. Other awards that were especially important to him were the From the Heart Award from the chamber of commerce and a special “World’s Greatest Grandpa” award from his grandson, Andrew. He was preceded in death by his parents; half-sister Rita (Hasselbrink) Martin; sister, Christy Jean (Hasselbrink) Stevens; brothers-in-law, Frank Herbert and Alfred England; and nephew William Hasselbrink. Survivors include his wife, Karen (Rekstad); son, Jeorge (Valery) Hasselbrink; brothers, George Robert (Judy) Hasselbrink of Colorado and Gerald Leroy (Elizabeth) Hasselbrink of Minnesota; half-sister Lois (Hasselbrink) England of Missouri; grandson, Andrew Hasselbrink of Salida; and many nieces and nephews. His services will be at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 26, 2022, downstairs at the Elks Lodge, followed by military graveside service at Fairview Cemetery. A light luncheon will follow at the Elks Lodge. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to local veterans organizations, local Humane Society, Salida Elks Lodge or a charity of the giver’s choice. Arrangements are with Lewis and Glenn Funeral Home in Salida. Online condolences may be offered at lewisandglenn.com.

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