09/10/2026
Vance Trujillo
Our beloved Vance Trujillo passed away on September 1, 2026. He was born on July 24, 1969, in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, to Louis R. Trujillo and Gloria Laverne Martinez. Raised in Arvada, Colorado, he graduated from Arvada Senior High School in 1988 and went on to attend Metropolitan State College of Denver.
From his earliest years, Vance had a way of making people feel seen. He was thoughtful and attentive to those around him, and his warmth left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to know him. One of his closest friends put it best: "Vance blessed a lot of people just by being friendly to them. It's not often strangers start talking to you for no reason. Vance had that way about him." An avid reader, he visited the library nearly every day. He was also a devoted member of two community groups connected to his close friend Tim, who invited him to join Lighthouse Writing: Hard Times Club, which met each Thursday at the Belmar Library and gave him a creative outlet to write poetry and verse dedicated to his mother and family, and who created Shooting the Breeze, a monthly gathering held on the last Sunday of every month at the Barnes & Noble Starbucks Café in Colorado Mills. Vance was also a devoted sports fan, following the Colorado Rockies, Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, and Colorado Avalanche with equal enthusiasm, and he took great joy in music, live concerts, and karaoke evenings at Armida's.
Though he faced significant hardship earlier in life, Vance overcame it through remarkable strength of will, quitting both smoking and drinking cold turkey and never returning to either. He dedicated his professional life to the Jefferson Center for Mental Health, where he spent years supporting individuals living with mental illness. His compassion extended well beyond his career: he gave generously to those experiencing homelessness, volunteered weekly at Our City Church's food bank to help feed the unhoused, and remained a steady, willing presence for family, friends, and strangers alike. Vance often reminded those around him that "every day is a gift," a sentiment that defined the way he lived — with gratitude, joy, and an unwavering devotion to the people he loved. Family and friends were the center of his world, and it was a privilege beyond measure to have known him as brother, uncle, family member, or friend. Vance, you are deeply loved and will be profoundly missed.
He was preceded in death by his father, Louis R. Trujillo, and his mother, Gloria L. Martinez. He is survived by his eight siblings: Louis (Nina) of Wheat Ridge, Luke (Diana) of Denver, Phillip of Lakewood, Mike (Christine) of Wheat Ridge, Valerie (Ray) of Golden, Mark of New York, NY, Lisa Puente of Lakewood, and Ray of Arvada; numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews; and his beloved "adopted" brothers, Greg Orr, Eric Amorena, Miguel Lovato, and John Holtzinger.
A service will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. at Our City Church, 10555 W. 44th Ave, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033. There will be no reception at this time; a Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. The family requests that memorial donations to honor Vance's passion for helping the unhoused and supporting mental health be made in his name to the Jefferson Center for Mental Health or Family Tree, a Wheat Ridge nonprofit supporting survivors of domestic violence, child abuse, and homelessness. For those who are unable to attend the service, it will be lived streamed, and the people can join via the zoom link below.
https://livenation.zoom.us/j/92711944405?from=addon
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