Adele Bachman passed away July 27, 2026. Adele was born Helen Adele Stout to Ethel and Grant on June 6, 1944, in Lamar, Colorado. A 1962 graduate of Wiley High School, she attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where she met and married Don Bachman. They lived a bit in the Estes Park area at the base of Longs Peak before moving to Crested Butte in 1965 when Don was hired as lead ski patroller at the Crested Butte Ski Area. They welcomed a daughter, Genevieve, in 1969.
When Adele and Don arrived in Crested Butte, they joined a small population of about 250. Eventually they got to know almost everyone. During those first years Adele helped run the bar she and Don owned (Tony’s Tavern, now the Wooden Nickel.) She brought her baby to work, setting Genevieve's bassinet atop the pool table. Occasionally she had to move the baby so the fellas could play pool. Adele also opened a little shop called Rags & Old Iron next to the Tavern, where she sold her hand sewn items and knitting along with metal work and trinkets from local artisans.
Following her divorce from Don in 1973, she raised Genevieve as a single mom, working as well as volunteering. She trudged daily up and down to her house on the hill at the west end of Elk Avenue heading to work as Crested Butte town clerk and assistant manager. She was an EMT at the newly formed Crested Butte Fire Protection District and still found time to play on a softball team as catcher. One summer she joined friends running a taco stand at the Telluride Jazz Festival, camping overnight in the park.
After a few years, she decided she wanted more of a career with a future, so she left her Town position to return to school at Western State College. While earning her degree in Business Administration and Accounting, she bartended at the Talk of the Town. After graduating in 1987, she worked for the accounting department at Western.
She then took a job as a postal clerk in Crested Butte, planning to work her way up to Postmaster. She had to leave the valley for a few years to gain experience while serving as Postmaster in Moffat, CO before returning home. She finished out her career as Crested Butte Postmaster.
Adele was an artist, seamstress, actor, hunter, fisher, occasional river rat, traveler, amazing cook, and true foodie. She was independent, strong, stoic, and generous. She was a loyal friend to many, taking the time to truly listen to them without judging. Above all, she was the most incredible mother.
A founding member of the Crested Butte Mountain Theatre, she was cast in the first play, 1972's "Dark of the Moon," as Ma Summey. She designed and crafted costumes for that production and many others winning several Golden Marmots for her creativity, as well as one for an acting role.
She and Genevieve traveled in a camper van around the coast of New Zealand where she showed her skill as a fisherwoman in the surf.
After retiring, Adele concentrated on her painting, taking classes and portraying whatever scene struck her fancy.
One year she and Genevieve toured Cuba bringing home a couple of bottles of smooth rum and presents for her friends.
During the fall, she and a friend hunted elk, deer, or antelope. She butchered and froze her take. If you were lucky, she'd bestow her homemade elk liver pate upon you. Adele could cook anything and made it look easy. A favorite of potluck attendees was her strawberry rhubarb crisp.
Eventually, trudging up the hill in the deep snow became too much and she moved to Portugal, a place that had always fascinated her. Buying a little house outside of Pombal, she attended school to learn Portuguese and continue with her art and theatre. She made good friends, explored the country with its restaurants serving local specialties, and cultivated plants she couldn't raise at Crested Butte's altitude. She sent home photos of her grape vines, roses and Belladonna lily.
In December 2025 she was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer that had metastasized to her liver. Despite the good fight, chemo and surgeries, the cancer was too aggressive. In July, it was her wish to come home, back to Crested Butte.
Genevieve will host a Celebration of Life for Adele's friends and relatives Oct. 11 in Crested Butte.
