Darrell Rott Obituary

Darrell Alan Rott passed peacefully at Boulder Community Health on July 5, 2025, surrounded by his family. He had suffered a catastrophic bike accident two days prior.

Born in Lodi, California, in 1952, Darrell grew up on a dairy farm with his siblings Steve and Sherri. He attended Pacific Union College, where he earned an undergraduate degree in theology (with a minor in biology) and served as the school's spiritual vice president. He then went to Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, where he earned a master's degree in divinity in preparation for a career in ministry. He met and married Karen Thacker (of Boulder, Colorado) while studying in Michigan.

Darrell pastored a number of Seventh-Day Adventist churches throughout his career, including in Fortuna, Antioch, and Yuba City (California), Aiea (Hawaii), and Boulder (Colorado). During this time, he also led humanitarian trips to Fiji, Tonga, Brazil, Peru, Rwanda, and Kenya, and oversaw a summer camp in Hawaii. He spent the last 12 years of his career as director of chaplaincy, mission, and ministry at Avisa Hospital in Louisville, Colorado.

Throughout his life, Darrell spent countless hours birdwatching; studying the Civil War, World War II, and the Holocaust; visiting national and state parks; and riding his bike. But his favorite pastime was connecting with people. Darrell never knew a stranger, striking up conversations and cultivating friendships with everyone he encountered-even if it was only for a few minutes. He remained in contact with countless people over the years, regularly calling to check up on them, taking them to lunch, and visiting them when they were sick or struggling. The number of people who considered him to be their best friend or second father are a testament to the size of his heart and the impact of his life.

Darrell is missed by his wife Karen, children Matthew, Aaron, and Allison, grandchildren Revel, Finnley, and Raiden, and brother Steve, as well as the thousands of other people whose lives he touched over the years.

A memorial is tentatively scheduled for mid-September 2025. More details to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Darrell Rott Memorial Fund, which will benefit the Valley Queens Girls Soccer Club in Zambia: https://allourstories.org/darrell-rott-memorial/