Tim Papich 1962-2024

Timothy Jerome Papich, 62, passed away in Denver, Colorado on July 23, 2024, from complications following an automobile accident.

Tim was the youngest of six siblings born in Anaconda, Montana. Tim attended local schools and graduated from Anaconda High School in 1980, where he played football and wrestled for the Copperheads.  His first job was delivering newspapers for the Anaconda Leader.   

Tim attended Montana State University in Bozeman, earning a BS in Construction Engineering Technology in 1984. Tim’s career led him to Denver, Colorado where he had a long career as a project manager and construction engineer.  

In Denver, he met the love of his life and future wife Mary.  Tim and Mary were married in 1991, and their family was completed with the addition of two daughters, Theresa and Sarah.  

Tim earned a master’s degree in civil engineering to round out his education and had a long career as a project manager for companies in Denver.  He was a valuable friend and colleague to all who worked with him. Tim realized that life is short, and he vowed to live it to the fullest. 

Tim’s hobbies included fly fishing, fly rod construction, cooking, reading, current events, and politics.  He was a passionate Denver Bronco and MSU Bobcat football fan.  He learned fly-fishing from his father on the rivers near Anaconda and became a highly accomplished fisherman and an expert fly tyer. 

Family was the most important thing to Tim, and the choices he made were always influenced by his love for his wife and daughters.  He was exceptionally proud of the success of his daughters who each earned doctorate degrees in 2024.  To his friends, Tim was always loyal and reliable.  He was a member of the Most Precious Blood Catholic Church in Denver for over 20 years, where he also served as Lector.  

He prioritized spending quality time with his parents and was a devoted brother to his siblings. One of his greatest joys was to share the amazing food he prepared with friends and family. As an expression of love for his Anaconda roots, Tim was proud to have mastered many of his mother’s traditional recipes.

He is greatly missed by his family, wife Mary Papich and daughters Theresa Papich and Sarah Papich.  He is survived by many family members and friends, including his brothers Steve Papich (Mary Lou), Mark Papich (Marcy), John Papich (Marcia) and sister Marianne Owen (Doug), and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. 

He was preceded in death by his parents Michael (1978) and Kathleen Papich (2017), and brothers Michael (1986), Jeremy (1965), and Daniel (1953). 

Donations in Tim’s memory may be made to Home Builders Foundation Denver (hbfdenver.org/donate), an organization that helps Coloradoans with disabilities live independently.