The former head of Larimer County, James Disney, died on Monday. He was 82 years old.

As an avid hiker and climber, Disney is known for his love of Rocky Mountain National Park and established the Loveland Mountain Club in the 1970s to share with like-minded explorers, according to Loveland residents and original Member Ron Tuttle said the group.

"There is no doubt that his true love is outdoor activities," Tuttle said.

Disney fought cancer and wrote to other members of the Loveland Mountain Club at the end of October announcing that he would enter the hospice hospital after receiving two years of chemotherapy.

"Many of these treatments caused physical damage to my body and abilities," Disney wrote. "After meeting with several excellent doctors and others to consider the remaining options in the future, I chose hospice care. This option means stopping chemotherapy and letting the cancer develop on its own, while doing everything possible to provide a comfortable and productive outcome ."

The funeral arrangement is going on at Viegut Funeral Home in Loveland.

According to Disney’s son, David Disney, even the funeral director knew who his father was, from when he was the county governor.

"I think he is one of the most curious people on the planet. He is driven by a curiosity about being on the mountain, what it's like from point A to point B, and what it looks like there."

Young Disney was taken to outdoor adventures as a child, climbing steep trails with backpacks, and changing diapers on mountain peaks.

Although he loves nature, Disney says his father likes to spend time with people, and his studio was a cultural center in the early 1970s.

Disney said: "He is curious about people and what makes them excited." "He wants to make as many friends as possible, and he has done this all his life."

Disney’s love for painting is enduring. His partner Marian Tucker wrote in the same letter that he is creating a painting called "Reminder".

Tucker could not be reached for this article.

In 2014, he was commissioned to draw a poster for the Centennial Celebration of Rocky Mountain National Park. He told reporters: "For 50 years, I have been lucky to use my paintings and photos to share my love for Rocky Mountain National Park, so my work appeared in The official centennial poster is a great honor."

As the first open-land visual artist in Larimer County, he painted the landscape of The Hague, the highest mountain in Larimer County. This painting is in the collection of Larimer County.

According to his website, during his two tenures, he was known for his commitment to establishing an open land acquisition plan, environmentally responsible land use planning, and long-term transportation planning. In 1996, he won the Rocky Mountain National Park Environmental Management Award for cooperating with citizens, local, state, and federal governments to permanently prohibit commercial sightseeing flights over the park.

Disney is said to have encyclopedic knowledge of Rocky Mountain National Park, and according to Larimer County Commissioner Jody Shadak-McNally, he even recognized certain trees he saw in her Facebook posts. He has climbed Mount Rance nearly 100 times and also summited Denali, the largest mountain in North America in Alaska.

“He showed us the trails that only he knew, and sometimes recited poetry when we hiked,” said Betsy Mosehauer, president of the Loveland Mountain Club. "He can say the name of every mountain in the Frontier Mountains, and he knows a lot of (Rocky Mountain National Park) history. He led a fulfilling life and left a rich legacy."

"He is just one of these people," said Christine Stephens, Larimer County Commissioner, who was married to Disney's son David. "In the 1960s and 1970s, when mountaineering was not as popular as sports, he was a climber. He was always adventurous."

Shadduck-McNally said that she would often correspond with Disney on various topics about the county and their mutual love for the outdoors. He always signs in the same way: "Happy Trails."

"I hope he continues to have a happy footprint where he is now," said Shadak McNally.

Ken Amundson of BizWest contributed to this article.

Sign up for email newsletters

Will you host any holiday parties? The best festive craft cocktails start here, at Twin Peaks Liquor in Longmont.

The granite monument is a lasting way to pay tribute to the loved ones who have passed away. The craftsmen of Landmark Monuments...

This is what a supportive aged care community should look like-this is AltaVita assisted living! Residents enjoy the real...

Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is more than just a funeral home. This is a sympathetic place, the staff...

Celebrate a new start at Ute Creek Apartments. Move in now and enjoy the new year in the beautiful Longmont residential area...