Longtime Colorado insulator collector Larry Vollmer passed away September 18th at the age of 76. Larry was one of the most knowledgeable collectors in the hobby on the history of Colorado insulators. His memorial service at Ft. Logan National Cemetery had full military burial honors including a firing squad. There were also two Xcel Energy bucket trucks there to honor his many years of service as a lineman. It was a special sight. Those of us who knew Larry will miss him. He could be very opinionated and feisty but at the same time very kind and interesting. He was one of those guys you will never forget. I hope you are in God's hands Larry.

Here is an excerpt from his obituary:

His career was spent as a Journeyman Lineman, Executive Foreman, and Coordinator with Public Service Company of Colorado and its antecedent, Xcel Energy, before retiring and taking on contract, supervisorial and consultant work with various organizations in the public utilities construction industry. He was a well-respected leader in the industry, with extensive knowledge, and a great safety record. He spent long days working in the hot sun of the city, and longer winter nights on snowshoes troubleshooting the now-historic powerlines that travelled above 12,000 feet in the Colorado mountains. Larry's Army career was largely as a reservist, and mostly with the 244th Engineering battalion based in Denver. He reached the rank of Chief Warrant Office 4 before retiring in the early 90's. The 244th was formed during, and served in World War II. They are well-decorated, and have served in conflicts through their history, largely as a construction force. In non-wartime, Larry and the 244th did civic construction projects as varied as the Dillon Reservoir Dam, Cottonwood pass road, and work in the 23-hour summer days of Alaska. Larry was a senior officer with the 244th. He was a fount of knowledge about Colorado history, and an avid collector of historic and rare books. He had a seemingly-bottomless knowledge of mining, roads, railroads, and telephone and telegraph. Related to those hobbies, he was also a collector of rare insulators from historic telephone, telegraph and power lines, and was a collector of rare bottles. Larry would tell you everything you ever wanted to know about any of these subjects, and five or ten other things you may not have wanted to know as well. He was also a hunter for much of his life, and a fisherman. He loved spending long days on the shore, wading in the creek, or resting in a boat.