Adelbert Guillet

Adelbert “Del” Guillet III, age 71, died Monday, February 3, 2020 following a lengthy illness. Born September 2, 1948 in Durango, Co, he was the son of the late Adelbert “Delbert” Guillet Jr and Evelyn Ruth Guillet.
Del was a life-long resident of Cortez and a Veteran of the US Navy.  During the Vietnam conflict, Del served his country in P3 Orion surveillance aircraft as an electronics technician.
He then moved to County Road P3 in 1976 which was his residence for the remainder of his life. Del followed his father in HVAC repair and installation. Then worked as the maintenance supervisor for the  Ramada Inn, and eventually, the Anasazi Motel.
Del was preceded in death by his brother-in-law Bill Phillips, his grandson Brendan Rotsaert, and his sister Laurel Banks. He is survived by his wife Barbara of 51 years, Jason (son) and wife Becky Guillet, daughter Holly Rotsaert, Joan (sister) and Larry Ruble, sister Betsy Phillips, brother-in-law Bill Banks,  sister Marcie Guillet, cousin Herma Jean Watson, granddaughters Sierra Rotsaert and Vivianne Guillet, and grandson Evan Guillet.
A large portion of Del’s life was spent enjoying Montezuma County to the fullest, all of it with the fortunate members of his family: hunting, fishing, hunting, waterskiing, a little bit of forced snow skiing, hunting, camping, sledding, horse shoes, the repair of all things mechanical (and some not), raising animals, hunting (not the ones he raised), and breathing free. All with the love of his life, Barb.
Del’s family provided details about him without hesitation and with lightning speed. Hunting camp was not just about hunting, there were bonfires and there may or may not have been some celebratory alcohol. At one point, Del said, “We gonna all have some whipping siskey.” Part of getting ready for hunting was sighting in the firearms. This says a lot about Del because he respected safety issues while still having a great time with the young and old of the family by blowing up a milk jug or a soda can. Del may also have been Uncle Al the Kiddy’s Pal, but part of being a pal as a parent is keeping children on the right path. When not following the rules that were made for safety’s sake, he would calmly direct the offenders to the willow wash to cut their own switch. However, the biggest part of Del was his love of babies. Any time he was in the same room with a baby, he or she would end up on his lap, and one of his superpowers was almost instantly having babies fill their diapers. He would then hand the baby back with a big smile. Del was part of a bowling league and had personalized and fancy equipment. When he was given his bowling ball, he had to follow clues to find it, and finally did find it after walking through a good two feet of snow in his slippers. After he got the ball, the only time it left his hand was to make a strike. Besides bowling, Del’s family loved playing horseshoes. The younger cousins used to watch and reach their rite of passage when they could play along. Even when Del was getting on in years, he still early adopted the newest electronics and tech. He embraced it and even taught it to the younger generations. He also adopted people the same way. New additions to the family and even acquaintances were welcomed to park a trailer on the property or become a part of the family fold through his grace. Del was always there. From picking up and consoling teenagers from car wrecks to taking over and helping when Betsy’s husband Bill passed away, he was always there to give aid and to maintain.
Memorial services will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, 3 o'clock pm, at the Cortez Church of the Nazarene. We will honor his service, celebrate his spirit, and laugh a lot through some tears for our loss. All are welcome.