RUSTY PAINTIN

Rusty Paintin was born in Burlington Colorado in 1969 to Bob and Sandy Paintin and welcomed by big sister Brenda and brother Justin.

He was around 1 year old when the family moved to Trinidad to the Spanish Peaks wildlife area. This is where Rusty’s ornery years really began. In Trinidad, Rusty and siblings loved riding horses, roping cats and “shooting the ass off dizzards”. He also learned to work at an early age and backed his tricycle up to the horse trailer, cranked it down and literally flattened that tricycle. He was very curious and nothing got past him. He gave his granddad an uppercut wanting to see his false teeth pop out. Granddad hung him on the doorknob by his belt that time.

When Rusty was 5, the family moved to Flagler and he started school in first grade. After firstgrade the family moved to Crook, CO. and he went to school for the second and half of third grade. The family then moved to Limon and he completed 3rd, 4th and 5th grade.

In 1978, he and the family welcomed Bobbie Jo. The family then moved back to Flagler where Rusty and siblings would finish growing up and schooling. Through his time in Flagler, Rusty enjoyed hunting, fishing, high school sports, FFA and mostly getting into trouble. He was horseback any chance he got. He went to college for 1 year at LCC and was on the rodeo team riding bulls.

Rusty was blessed with 3 children; Stephanie, Joe and Kelsey. In the mid-90s, Rusty and his family moved back to the Kit Carson area and from then on would stay around the community.

From that point on, Rusty was deeply involved in many aspects of the Cheyenne County community. Rusty gave his time to things such as Little League baseball, the Cheyenne County Fair, Kit Carson Days, and the Kit Carson Volunteer Fire Department.

Rusty was always someone who the community could count on. He constantly put off his own projects and workload to help others. He cherished the ability to serve others and the friendships that came from those actions were held dear to his heart. His friendships were strong and loving no matter how much space and time had come between each of them.

The last few years Rusty became a “cowboy poet” and wrote several stories. He shared them with his heart poured out on paper.

Rusty passed away on January 23, 2024 at Swedish Hospital in Englewood Colorado.

Rusty is survived by his mother Sandra Paintin; sisters Brenda Paintin, Bobbie (Brent) Paintin: brother Justin (Jennifer) Paintin: son Joseph Paintin; daughter Kelsey (Berrie) Paintin; longtime partner Kathy; Stepchildren Kayla (Mike) Buchannon, Tyler (Veronica) Buzzard, and Jason Buzzard; nephew Blake; nieces Becca, Grace, Sarah, and Kaytie; grandchildren Adaline, Jordan, Winter, Wesley, Jaelynn, Teagan, Easton, Layton, and Kyson.

Rusty is preceded in death by his father Robert Paintin; daughter Stephanie Paintin and stepson Jeffrey Kregel.

If anyone should want to honor Rusty, the family asks donations to be directed to the memorial bank account located at any Eastern Colorado Bank location or mailed to Eastern Colorado Bank, PO Box 175, Kit Carson, CO. 80825.

Funeral Services were held February 2, 2024, at the Kit Carson High School in Kit Carson. Burial followed in the Kit Carson Cemetery.

Friends and family can register online condolences and sign the guestbook at www.brownfuneraldirectors.com. Visitation and funeral services have been entrusted to the care of the Brown Funeral Home.