Obituary of Gasper Joseph Graziano

Gasper Joseph "Rocky" Graziano passed away surrounded by his family on November 15, 2022 in Denver. 

A mechanical engineer by profession, Rocky was known for his never-ending quest for knowledge and problem-solving for others. A long-time resident of Evergreen, he was an active member of "The Curmudgeons," a group of retired professionals who were instrumental in bringing RTD senior transportation to the community and the construction of an accessible trail around Evergreen Lake, among other community improvements. As recently as this year, at the age of 95, he reached as far as The White House to propose HVAC solutions as a means to combating COVID spread in public buildings, even writing articles on the subject for an engineering publication. 

Rocky was born March 14, 1927 in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he spent his childhood. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 17. After the Army, he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering, then started a 30-year career with Johns-Manville. He married Phyllis Anne Graziano in 1955 and they had four daughters. In 1972 the family moved to Evergreen, where Phyllis and Gasper resided until they relocated to Denver to be closer to their daughters in 2015. 

Rocky was preceded in death by his wife, who passed away in February 2020. He is survived by daughter Amy Graziano and her husband Dick O'Connell; daughter Joanne Fukaye and her husband Howard Fukaye; daughter Kathryn Graziano and her husband Dan Gay; daughter Vanessa Graziano and her husband Kevin O'Grady; four grandchildren, James Fukaye, Alyssa Fukaye, Nicholas Gay and Emily Gay; and two great-grandchildren, Kenji and Kimiko Fukaye Mosquera. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to Seniors4Wellness, PO Box 361, Evergreen, CO 80437 or online at www.seniors4wellness.org

A celebration of Rocky's life will be held at Wellshire Presbyterian Church, 2999 S. Colorado Blvd. Denver, CO 80222 on January 14, 2023 at 11:00AM.