Frank Allen Traylor Jr, MD

Frank Allen Traylor Jr, MD 1929 - 2026

Dr. Frank Allen Traylor Jr, general surgeon and public servant, died peacefully Jan. 3, 2026, shortly before his 97th birthday. He was born into a longtime Denver family on January 21, 1929, the third child of Frank Allen Traylor Sr and Emma Minehart Traylor.

Frank attended Denver Public Schools, graduating from East High where he was Head Boy, a good student and an earnest athlete in baseball and football. His real love, however, was the French horn and playing in the school orchestra, which led to a lifelong passion for classical music. Frank was active in Boy Scouts and reached the rank of Eagle Scout when he was just 15.

Before he was born, Frank's father and grandfather had started a paint company in Denver and, after it was sold to Benjamin Moore & Co., his father continued as an executive there. Frank spent many days at the paint factory (now the Walnut Benjamin Moore Lofts), first as a youngster exploring nooks and crannies, and later as a junior employee. Even in his twilight years, he enjoyed returning to see the factory and reminiscing about his father and his days there.

When he was 13 years old, Frank began venturing with his father and a group of prominent Denver men to a backcountry camp on the South Fork of the White River. He took 22 trips over the course of his life to what became a hallowed place for him. His last trip there was during his 85th year, accompanied by many of his children and grandchildren.

After graduating from East High in 1947, Frank left the west to attend Princeton University, where he majored in chemistry. He had an enduring love of the Romantic poets stemming from his classes at Princeton and, even at the end of his life, his library still held books from his Princeton years. He graduated with honors in 1951 and remained a dedicated Tiger his entire life.

Frank attended medical school at Washington University in St. Louis, graduating in 1955. While at WashU, he met his future wife, Claire Guthrie, who was working toward her master's degree there. They married in 1954 and settled in Denver after graduation, where Frank completed his internship and most of his residency. He joined the Air Force and served honorably as a Captain on the medical staff at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, IL, followed by several years in the Air Force Reserve in Denver. Frank finished his medical residency in general surgery and in 1962 started a practice with partner Roger Wotkyns at Lutheran Hospital. He practiced there until retiring from medicine in 1978. Between 1957 and 1965, Frank and Claire had four children and in 1963, the young family moved from central Denver out to the western suburb of Wheat Ridge. Frank made sure that their children were exposed to the mountain activities he enjoyed: the family took frequent ski and camping trips, and each summer Frank would take just one child backpacking with him. These special trips continued even after the children were grown.

A commitment to public service ran through Frank's life. In 1967, he was appointed to fill a school board vacancy in the Jefferson County School District, subsequently winning reelection. He served six years on the board, including as its president. In 1974, he was elected as a Republican to the Colorado House of Representatives, serving two terms. As the only physician in the state legislature at the time, his legislative agenda primarily focused on health and medical issues. And in 1978, Democratic Governor Dick Lamb named him Director of the Colorado Department of Health, making news due to their opposing political parties. He later transitioned to serving as Director of the Colorado Department of Institutions, overseeing both departments for a year during the transition. He retired from public service in 1987.

From high school to late life, Frank made an impact with his involvement in a variety of nonprofit and professional organizations; a highlight was the board of the Denver Foundation, where he served as board chair for several years.

Frank returned to his medical roots after leaving the Governor's Cabinet, serving as president of Lutheran Hospital from 1987 until 1992. He then partnered with longtime Lutheran associate Alice Murray and three other colleagues to launch a company providing credentialing services to hospitals and managed care organizations across the country. The company sold in 2002, at which time he officially retired.

His final chapter began in 2002, when he and Alice Murray were married. Together, they enjoyed many trips in the U.S. and abroad, with an annual trip to Santa Fe. They watched birds and wildlife from their home among the cottonwoods of the historic Agricultural Ditch in Lakewood, and they worked together in their extensive gardens, thoroughly enjoying retirement.

Throughout his life, Frank created lasting and treasured friendships, engaging with friends in Tuesday Discussion Group, Bridge Group, and excursions to Central City for picnic dinners and the opera. He was a longtime member of the University Club, a Century Member of the Colorado Arlberg Club, and a devoted member of Green Mountain Presbyterian Church.

He was one of nature's noblemen: A lifelong Colorado outdoorsman, he skied, hiked, backpacked, and flyfished well into his 80s. But he was equally at home in a big chair with a work of nonfiction, preferably with classical music playing and a glass of fine scotch. Frank is remembered for his integrity, intelligence, warmth, and wit.

Some years ago, Frank began to display signs of dementia. Fortunately, he was able to live at home until just before his passing on January 3, 2026. The Traylor family has the deepest gratitude for the wonderful staff of Collier Hospice Center at Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital for their kind and professional care in Frank's final days.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents, Frank Allen Traylor Sr and Emma Minehart Traylor; siblings Louis Minehart Traylor and Anita Traylor Glazier; brother-in-law Russell Willard Glazier; nephew Willard Frank Glazier; first wife Claire Guthrie Traylor; grandson Frank Allen Traylor IV; son-in-law, Marvin Guy Newsom, Jr. He is survived by his wife, Alice Esther Traylor; children Nancy Ellen Traylor Newsom, Frank Allen Traylor III (Kiki B.), Susan Traylor Lykes (Mayo), David Winston Traylor (Polly); grandchildren Lauren Jean Martinez de Escobar (Chris), Frank Guy Newsom, Kathleen Claire ("Kacee") Traylor, Shelby Caroline Traylor, Campbell Ann Traylor; step-daughter Phyllis Ann Murray; step-granddaughter Mariah Alicia Baerend (Steffen); six great-grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, Feb. 14 at Green Mountain Presbyterian Church, 12900 W. Alameda Pkwy., Lakewood, Colorado, with a reception immediately following.

Gifts in memory of Dr. Frank A. Traylor Jr may be made to a charity of your choosing.