Warren Emerson Kercher

Warren Emerson Kercher of Highlands Ranch, Colorado was called to be with the Lord after a long illness on December 31st, 2023, three hours before the new year. Warren was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 6th, 1940 to Emerson and Margaret (Zimmerman) Kercher. He graduated from East Rockford High School in 1959, and then went on to study business at the University of Northern Colorado, earning his bachelor's degree. 
 
After moving to Colorado, Warren met Nancy (Chapman) Kercher, and they married on August 21st, 1965. Warren and Nancy would have five sons together. Around this time, he also started working for Westaff, a company that he would spend nearly 40 years with. In 2005, he retired from Westaff and, in his second act, used his many years in the staffing industry to help counsel and mentor hundreds of job seekers. 
 
Warren was preceded in death by his parents, Emerson and Margaret, his two older brothers, Eugene and Ed, and his beloved first wife of 50 years, Nancy (Chapman) Kercher. Warren is survived by his devoted second wife, Louise (Hall) Kercher, his younger brothers, Jim and Glen, his many nieces and nephews, and his five sons and their wives and children: Todd and Kristen and their daughters Camryn, McKenna, and Emmy; Tim and Allison and their daughters Ani and Ketevan and sons Keats and Fields; Joey and Devyn and their daughters Hadley and Maya; Shawn and Beth and their daughters Chloe and Hannah; and Kelly and Annie and their sons Leo and Wyatt. 
 
Warren leaves a legacy to his family and friends of a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, a deep and abiding faith, and a hard-working business leader who never hesitated to help and connect with others. 
 
When they were nearly 40, and with their two sons, Tim and Todd, being 10 and 12 years old, Warren and Nancy decided to try for a daughter. Having a daughter was not to be; instead, Nancy became pregnant with triplets, discovered by an 80s-era ultrasound that could not determine their sex. At least one of them had to be a daughter, right? When the triplets were born in the spring of 1981, Warren and Nancy were surprised to find that they were identical, red-headed boys. Warren did not blink at this life change—going from being a father of two to five sons overnight. He and Nancy poured themselves into raising these boys, always looking at it as a blessing. 
 
A study in contrast, Warren was a picture of stability. He lived in the same house in Willow Creek for 40 years, was a devoted husband for 50 years to his first wife Nancy, and worked for nearly 40 years for one company. He would often be seen with a cigar in his mouth, working in his garden among his tomato plants, making stained glass in his basement, tinkering with his cars and motorcycles, or just working on his house, doing brickwork or mowing the lawn. 
 
That said, Warren had an unparalleled zest for life and thirst for adventure. When he moved to Colorado, he fell in love with the mountains, picking up skiing right away. He also had a passion for motorcycles and sports cars, and the open road would often call him—he drove his motorcycles and sports cars all around the United States, often plotting out off-the-beaten track routes. He toured much of Europe by motorcycle and even toured Patagonia. He loved adventuring in the Colorado high country and Moab's red desert on motorcycles with his sons and many friends. Warren was always looking for the next adventure and shared these adventures and his enthusiasm for them with many people who knew him. 
 
Since 1980, Warren has had a home in Ouray, Colorado, a place close to his heart where he cherished spending time with family and friends, motorcycling and jeeping in the high San Juans, and just tinkering around the house, basement, and garage. The stunning views of the mountains that he enjoyed from his deck were one of the few things that could make him slow down and relax. 
 
After Nancy's death, Warren was blessed with a second chance at love when he met Louise. They were married on September 9th, 2016. In these later years, he was a devoted husband and continued to expand his horizons, finding more adventures to go on and picking up new hobbies like building model cars using his 3D printer. Warren and Louise loved his 13 grandchildren and made it a priority to spend time with them. A positive person, Warren never stopped lifting up and encouraging those around him. 
 
Warren’s life and legacy will be celebrated at Greenwood Community Church, located at 5600 East Belleview Avenue, Greenwood Village, CO 8011, on Sunday, January 21, 2024, at 2 PM.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers and gifts, please make donations in Warren’s name to either, Mission Hills Life Center: lifecenterlittleton.org or LLS: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.