Harold Clifton "Cliff" Goss passed away Nov. 21, 2025. He was born in San Benito, Texas, on Sept. 20, 1951, to Harold and Dorothy Goss.
Cliff and his family moved to Crested Butte in 1989 to work at Crested Butte State Bank. Cliff loved the town and its people, and was an active member of the Rotary Club and engaged in the PTA and Boy Scouts. Cliff was known for his unique fundraiser ideas, larger-than-life personality and his true care for all with whom he engaged. He loved living in the mountains, and his time in Colorado was very dear to him, despite being involved in the explosion of Crested Butte State Bank in 1990. This event was a defining moment in his life. He saw every day after March 6, 1990, as “bonus time,” and he set to work to live each of these days well.
In 1992 the family moved down the Valley to Gunnison. Again, Cliff set to work loving his community. He was an active member of Bethany Baptist and later, Community Church. His favorite activities were hosting the mutton bustin’ and other children’s rodeo events, as well as the “World Championship Chicken Roping Event” at the annual Cattleman’s Days Rodeo. He loved encouraging even the littlest of cowboys with a rodeo belt buckle, founding and running the Chuckwagon Cookoff with his daughter and a host of friends, and he put his whole heart into running Hoodlum Lunch. Cliff loved speaking to and mentoring young men. Hoodlum Lunch allowed him to share the gospel, teach gentlemanly manners, share his love of Southern food, foster good boys into great men and tell a story or two. This love of mentoring young men led him and Dona to Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch, where they were house parents for 10 years.
These years and his work with “his boys” produced a loving legacy beyond words. Cliff and Dona went from having one daughter to adding hundreds of boys who they love to this day as sons. Life with teenage boys not only provided a new audience to regale with tales but added numerous new stories to his arsenal. He lived a life worth sharing stories about, full of adventure.
But first and foremost, Cliff was devoted to his family and all those he deemed family. He was married to Dona for 47 years and three days, and they had a successful marriage. It's difficult to think about Cliff without thinking "Cliff and Dona.” The two supported each other in all their endeavors and created a life focused on God, family and community. He was his daughter's "superman" from day one, and the two shared a close bond and enjoyed cooking, laughing, chuck wagoning and sneaking off to the farm. He loved his son-in-law as his own and blended him seamlessly into the family. Cliff's favorite role was "Poppi" to his grandson William, encouraging adventure, love, respect and passing down his wealth of stories.
Cliff and Dona retired from Boys Ranch to Killeen, Texas, just to spend more time with family. Cliff deeply loved his sister, nieces, nephews, in-laws and cousins too numerous to count. He held each one dear. He had the kind of lifelong friends that one thinks only exist in stories, whom he held dear and who played significant roles in his life.
Cliff is survived by his wife, Dona Goss; his daughter and son-in-law, Amanda and David Durst; a grandson, William Durst; a sister and brother-in-law, Jan Ella and Terry Woods; and a sister-in-law, Jackie Marcum, and brother-in-law, Gene Marcum. Along with nieces, nephews, cousins, dear friends and numerous bonus sons.
Services will be held at the Cal Farley's Boys Ranch Chapel on Dec. 6 at 3 p.m.
