Jim Vagher Obituary

Description: Jim Vagher Obituary... Our Heartfelt Condolences To His Loved Ones...

Jim Vagher

Nov. 18 - Feb. 8, 2026

Rosary for former Bristol, Colorado resident, Jim Vagher will be held at 7:00 p.m., Friday, February 20, 2026 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bristol, Colorado.  Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, February 21, 2026 at St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church in Holly, Colorado.  Inurnment will follow at Sunnyslope Cemetery in Bristol, Colorado.

Obituary

Jim Andrew Vagher’s life cannot be measured by dates or destinations, but by the love he gave and the steady presence he offered to everyone lucky enough to know him. Still, his story began in a way that somehow perfectly reflected the strength and grit he carried throughout his life, born during a snowy blizzard in Bristol, Colorado on November 18th, at home on a barn door, to Weoma and Norman Vagher. From the very beginning, Jim entered the world grounded, resilient, and surrounded by family.

Jim was one of seven children, growing up on a farm where hard work wasn’t optional, it was simply how life was lived. From an early age, he learned responsibility, perseverance, and how to work with his hands. He was driving equipment and pulling his weight long before most kids his age, building the work ethic and quiet competence that would define him for the rest of his life. Those early lessons stayed with him always.

Before anything else, Jim was a twin, learning from the very start how to share space, connection, and life itself. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend.  He wore each role with humility, devotion, and quiet strength.  Jim had a warmth that made people feel safe. He showed up fully, listened deeply, and loved without conditions. His presence alone could calm a room, ease anxiety, and make the world feel more manageable. He didn’t need to be loud to be strong, his strength lived in patience, consistency, and care.

To Jim’s twin, he was more than a brother, he was his other half and his memory. They shared a life shaped by hard work, fierce competition, and deep mutual respect. From friendly rivalries in sports to shared lessons learned through grit and determination, Jim constantly pushed Kim to be better. Their bond was unspoken, unconditional, and built over a lifetime of shared experiences, laughter, and challenges. Though Jim is no longer beside him, that bond remains unbroken, carried forward in memory, love, and every heartbeat.

He showed up with that same spirit everywhere in life. On Gaby’s graduation day, he proudly wore a batik shirt for her, that he had grumbled about for days, while fussing over his hair and searching tirelessly for McDonald’s - hungry, confused by the language around him, and utterly devoted to being present. Though everything around him was spoken in Bahasa Indonesian and unfamiliar to him, the meaning of the moment was perfectly clear.  Afterwards, reunited as a family and sharing a meal together afterward, the day felt warm, complete, and deeply meaningful.

Jim was a storyteller, one of the best. His children, especially lived for his stories, even when distance kept them apart. Bedtime tales ranged from scary to soulful, but all of them carried meaning. He told true stories that revealed who he was at his core: compassionate, courageous, and unwilling to look away when someone needed help. When a worker in Indonesia suffered a heat stroke and others hesitated because of cost or insurance, Jim refused to accept inaction. He called an ambulance and made it clear that a life mattered more than money. That was Jim—he never met anyone without leaving an impact.

Protection was one of the ways he loved best. No matter where in the world his children were, Jim made sure they felt safe. When panic set in over a visa issue for Ryan in Moscow, he calmly talked it through, rearranged flights, booked a hotel, and reminded his child they weren’t alone. When Hurricane Irma trapped Florida in gridlocked fear, Jim’s steady voice cut through the chaos for Kelsi. He calmed the storm inside when the one outside couldn’t be controlled. Though he carried anxiety himself, he shielded his children from it, always putting their peace first.

Jim worked hard, graduating from the University of Southern Colorado with a degree in Civil Engineering, and built a career defined by curiosity, dedication, and global reach. He began his professional life with Gearhart, then continued with Halliburton, a path that took him around the world - from Canada to Indonesia, Africa, Baku, Holland, and Thailand. In time, Indonesia became more than a destination; it became home. Wherever he lived, Jim built community, leaving behind respect, kindness, and friendship in every place he touched.

Even with a demanding career, Jim gave everything he had to being a proud father to his children. Summers for his children meant waiting all day for him to come home, then playing until dinner or sunset riding bikes, throwing passes in the yard, and creating silly movies on the camcorder. Even though most times, his children only got to see him for a couple months out of the year, he put in the absolute most effort to make the time special for them. He made vacations unforgettable, somehow managing the chaos of traveling with six kids while making each moment feel special. And, if he fell asleep during movies, it was only because he had already given his best energy to the people he loved.

Some of the most cherished memories came during travels together. Wandering town squares in Holland, sharing beers, admiring old architecture, and talking for hours. A road trip to Paris with Kelsi and Ryan brought lifelong dreams to life: the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs‑Élysées, the Moulin Rouge, and the Louvre. And in the midst of it all, laughter - like the night Jim was half asleep while Kelsi didn’t want the storytelling to end, Jim murmured, “Kelsi…wrap it up,” sending everyone into hysterics. These were the moments that mattered, the ones that now shine brightest.

And then there were the moments that captured Jim’s joy perfectly. On a family trip to the Denver Zoo during a reunion, as the whole group walked through the monkey exhibits - Lovita, Jonathan, Max, baby George, Juniper, and Taylor pregnant with Quentin, a monkey unexpectedly peed on Taylor. Jim thought it was the funniest thing that had ever happened. His laughter rang out so freely and contagiously that embarrassment dissolved instantly into joy. Later that day, the family was caught in an unrelenting downpour, huddled together beneath a borrowed food‑stand umbrella carried by Jonathan as they made their way out, soaked and laughing. Jim joked about that day for months afterward, because for him, joy was always worth revisiting.

Jim departed this earthly life on February 8th in Indonesia surrounded by his family.  Jim is preceded in death by his beloved parents, Weoma Whitfield Vagher and Norman Vagher and brother-in-law, Don Goetz. He is survived by six siblings Jean Vagher Goetz, Patricia Vagher Groom (Leonard), Benny Vagher (Katherine), Michael Vagher (Kathy), Kim Vagher (Marie), and Travis Vagher (Randa); his wife, Lovita Vagher; his children Ryan Vagher (Jordan), Kelsi Vagher Cieslinski (Bob) and their mom Lorie Vagher, Taylor Vagher Hood (Max), Jonathan Vagher and their mom Kay Vagher, Nadia Vagher, Gaby Vagher and their mom Inge Sondaryani, George Vagher, and his unborn son Louis Jim Vagher; his cherished grandchildren Robert Cieslinski, Beau Cieslinski, Juniper Hood, and Quentin Hood; his step-children Saphira Hidayat, Brooke Hodges, and Courtney Smus; and many other family members and friends word-wide.

Jim’s greatest legacy lives on in his children, grandchildren, his siblings and his twin - in their resilience, their kindness, and the stories they now carry forward to honor him.  We would give anything to hear one more story, but Jim already gave us everything we needed: a life filled with love, laughter, protection, and presence. His story continues in all of us.

Jim Vagher will be missed beyond words and remembered always.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Frances of Rome/St. Mary's  Catholic Church in care of Valley Funeral & Cremation, P.O. Box 950, Lamar, Colorado 81052.

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