Ward Braiden Darley

Ward Braiden Darley (“Brad”) of Centennial, Colorado, passed away peacefully on March 5, 2026, surrounded by family. He was born in Denver on October 17, 1936, to Dr. Ward Darley and Pauline Braiden Darley.

Growing up in Denver, Brad developed a lifelong love of the outdoors. He enjoyed football, fishing, hiking, and skiing in the Colorado mountains. He attended East High School and later transferred to Boulder High School when his father became President of the University of Colorado. Brad went on to attend the University of Colorado Boulder as a pre-med student. While there he joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and served as president of his pledge class.

Brad’s interest in science and medicine led him to work part-time in the biophysics laboratory at the University of Colorado Medical School in Denver. It was there that he met a bright, fun, and beautiful student working in the lab, Herta Zechel. They began dating, soon fell in love, and were married in 1961, beginning a devoted partnership and a close-knit family that remained at the center of Brad’s life.

Brad later earned his master’s degree in Hospital Administration from Washington University in St. Louis. His career included executive leadership roles at the Cleveland Clinic, Swedish Medical Center, and Children’s Hospital of Denver. Later in his career, Brad served as Executive Director of the Arapahoe Medical Society and Foundation, where he continued his lifelong commitment to supporting the medical community.

Brad was a loving and devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His strong work ethic, deep loyalty to family, and appreciation for the outdoors were constants throughout his life. His children and grandchildren will especially remember the stories he loved to tell about growing up as a third-generation Coloradan, sharing family history, teaching them to ski and fish, and passing along his love for the beauty, adventure, and spirit of the state he loved and called home.

Brad was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, his beloved wife, Herta Darley, and his cherished daughter Druanne Dewispelaere.

He is survived by his daughter Andrea Tarr (Jeffrey) and his son Braiden Darley; six grandchildren, William Dewispelaere (Erin Drake), Andrew Dewispelaere, Connor Tarr, Jeremy Tarr, Sarah Darley (Sean McDonough), and Claire Darley; and two great-grandchildren, Benjamin Dewispelaere and Tank Tarr.

Brad’s life was defined by his love of family and of Colorado, and his legacy will live on in the generations who learned from him to appreciate both.