Joseph Simon Flierl

Joseph S. Flierl, life-time Colorado resident and 34-year educator died March 7, 2025.

Joseph S. Flierl (Joe), a native Coloradoan, age 95 of Littleton, CO passed to eternal life on March 7, 2025 after a long period with dementia and other complications. He was the son of Simon H. Flierl, a native of Castle Rock, CO and Irene E. Coressel Flierl, a native of Ohio and resident of Cherry Valley, south of Franktown, CO. Joe is survived by his beloved and devoted wife Shirley Pauline (Polly) Hostetler Flierl, son Richard J. and wife Kay Anzia Flierl, Kimberly Hardin Flierl, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren Kalyn, Alexander, Benjamin Flierl and Kalyn’s fiancé Dylan Johnston. He is survived also by his sister Ruth M. and her husband Bill Callahan and his sister-in-law Beverly Flierl, 33 nieces and nephews and 68 great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Joe is predeceased by his parents Simon and Irene, his son Robert P. Flierl, five of his siblings, Francis (Erinea), Regina (Joy) Sayler, Helen (Robert) Bissett, Evelyn (Ernest) Lloyd, Charles Flierl, and niece Teresa Sayler, seven aunts and uncles and six first cousins.

Joe’s education began in the Parker, CO school system, the town where he was born on July 28, 1929. The family moved to Englewood, CO in 1944 and he entered Englewood High School and graduated in the Class of 1947. After he graduated it was necessary for him to work as a gardener to save enough money to allow his entrance to Colorado State College of Education in the fall of 1948. Joe was an honor student and graduated from CSCE in 1952 with a major in Social Studies and two minors. He was granted a Lifetime Colorado Teacher Certificate upon graduation. In college he was active in Phi Delta Pi Social Fraternity and was tapped for membership in Phi Delta Kappa Professional Educational Fraternity. He was a 3-year President of the large CSCE Social Studies Club.

He began his 34-year career in Education by signing a teaching contract with Englewood Public Schools for fall 1952. His career was interrupted by a draft notice for induction into the U.S. Army and was sent to Fort Sill, OK for basic training in the Field Artillery branch. He was granted certification as a Fire Direction Specialist and was named “Outstanding Battalion Soldier” at the graduation ceremony. After a welcome leave to visit his family, Joe was assigned to the staff of FATC (Field Artillery Training Center) as an instructor. When the Korean war ended in 1954, he was assigned to the 216th Division to be an aide to the Ft. Sill Battalion Commanding Officer. He was assigned the privilege of researching, writing, and publishing the history of the 216th Division. Joe was a part of the experimental Atomic Cannon which was first fired in Nevada in late 1954. He also served as the Division Informational Officer to prevent weekly lectures to all Battalion personnel. Joe was discharged in September 1954 to return to teaching at Englewood High School.

As a classroom teacher, he taught American History, Psychology, Sociology and Geography. During this time, he studied summer sessions at CSCE and was granted a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling in 1960.

During Joe’s career as an educator, he was a teacher (given a trophy by the Englewood Jr. Chamber of Commerce as Outstanding Young Teacher in 1958), Counselor, Director of Student Activities, Assistant Principal and Principal of six schools. He interrupted his teaching years to join the staff of the Colorado Department of Education for one year (1968-1969) to serve as a consultant. His work included statewide seminars on trends in public education and as a consultant to schools in northwestern CO, holding monthly meetings for principals to hold discussions on secondary school issues. This was an excellent experience to broaden his background and challenge his intellect.

Upon returning to public education in 1969, he accepted a position as Principal of Englewood High School. After 4 years of declining enrollment, working through issues of student activism and yearly reducing the staff, he responded to a call from Aurora Administrators offering a position to assist with the coming opening of the new Gateway High Schol. He accepted the position and moved to a fast-growing school district as Associate Principal to implement curriculum and student activity programs. After a successful 2-year assignment at Gateway, he was appointed Principal of Aurora Central High School, a large suburban college prep program facing vast changes. Anglo families left in large numbers and were replaced by Hispanic, African-American, Vietnamese/Korean, and Middle Eastern families. Many of the new students clashed culturally with the Anglo students. In addition, 9th graders were being added to the high school program. The faculty, dynamic and concerned, worked with the administrators to transition the school in meeting the changing needs. During a period of disruption, students slowly learned to adapt to the needs of each other and a calm, structured environment developed. Joe Flierl was recognized by the district for his efforts and was appointed as the founding Principal of the new Rangeview High School in Southeast Aurora in 1981.

Rangeview opened, after many delays, in the fall of 1983 graduating its first class in 1985. The school had many outstanding achievements during its first years, including sharing its facilities with Gateway H.S. on split sessions in the 1985 school year. State championships in Basketball, Cross Country, Track, a National Merit finalist and a Boettcher Scholar honored the school.

Joe Flierl retired from public school administration at the end of the 1985-86 school term. He retired to a new life of family and community service.

In his retirement years, he was an avid reader of the Denver Post, community newspapers, John Grisham, Kennedy and Obama novels and other authors, and enjoyed daily crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles. He and Pauline traveled throughout the 48 U. S. states and Canada and made 3 trips to Europe to tour the British Isles, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Italy. A gift from his Rangeview faculty at his retirement was a wonderful trip to all Hawaiian Islands in 1986.

Joe was a life-time gardener who answered his mothers’ request to plant seeds in the garden when he was 5 years old. He enjoyed growing roses, irises and vegetables along with fruit trees at his residence all his life. In his later retirement years, he gardened in the Littleton Pea Patch for 8 years. In his last years of life he gardened where he and his wife lived with his son and daughter-in-law.

During his life as an educator, he was a Board member of the Colorado North Central Association whose function was accreditation of schools and universities. During this period and during retirement, he served as Chairman of 34 school visitation teams to assess the school’s accreditation requirements. In addition, he served 9 schools as the Chairman of sub-committees on School Activity programs. He was recognized by the Director of the North Central Association for this service.

Joe and his wife joined the More Square and Prince Street Promenaders to square dance. During his retirement, he organized a project to serve 21 Littleton Senior Citizens to aid them with yard maintenance, weekly visits for conversation, counseling services, and needed errands. He developed great friendships!

Joe and Pauline were parishioners of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Littleton throughout their 68 years of married life. They were active as teachers of religious education, church organizations, served as communion distributors and parish weekly money counters. Joe worked on all parish building fund drives.

Music was a big part of Joe’s life. He played the clarinet in his school years and was a lover of symphony concerts, operas, and musical productions through his adult life. He was proud of his son Rob’s musical talent and skills as he performed the piano in high school concerts and used his trained and powerful voice in high school and college performances. He followed his son Rich in his successes in high school soccer and track. He was also proud of both boys’ achievements in academic endeavors.

All through retirement, Joe has had a strong interest in history, closely followed political events, and studied ancestry of his family. He compiled and entered data in his computer on all branches of the Flierl, Coressel, Hoeffl, Ehman and all in-law families as well as all branches of his wife’s families. He produced print-outs and posted this data on charts for each member of his family. He has printed out 7 volumes of his data for family records. In addition to work on ancestry, Joe became a coin and stamp collector. He collected and purchased stamps for 6 volumes of all U.S. stamps for his grandson Alex, and a 6-volume collection of commemorative stamps for grandson Benjamin. His coin collections include 1920-2010 pennies, U.S. state quarters, all stamps and coins of all U.S. presidents published. He was a busy and active man!

The Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, March 14, 2025 at 10:30AM at St. Mary Catholic Church, 6853 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado. A reception will immediately follow at the church. Entombment will be held at 2:00PM at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 12801 West 44th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

Memorial Contributions may be made in Joe's honor to the following organizations:

St. Mary Catholic Church- 6853 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado

Littleton Symphony Orchestra- https://littletonsymphony.org/donate

Littleton Pea Patch Garden-2171 W Shepperd Avenue, Littleton, Colorado or e-mail cmgppatch@gmail.com

Please share your memories of Joe and condolences with his family by signing the guest book below.