VANCE, Earl Warren

Earl Warren Vance, 78, of Mesa was called home by the Lord on Sunday June 10, 2007. Warren was born on March 18, 1929 in West Hamlin, West Virginia. He began a long career with the railroads at the age of 15, beginning as a telegraph operator with the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. In 1949 he married Rosamond Irene Fellure and in 1951 Warren started work for the Santa Fe railroad in Albuquerque, NM. Warren continued to progress within the Santa Fe, moving to various locations across the southwest until his retirement in Winslow Arizona as Division Rules Examiner in 1988. In 1989 Warren and Rosamond moved to Mesa to be near their children. A member of Grace United Methodist Church in Mesa, Warren was preceded in death by the love of his life, Rosamond, in 2001 after 52 years of marriage. He is survived by his three children, Neal Cameron of Mesa, AZ; Terry Lee (Marissa) of Albuquerque, NM; and Kristi Vance Colgan (Patrick) of Chandler, AZ, and 12 loving grandchildren; Elliott, Sara and Grace Vance and Tori, Kiara, Aidan, Michael, Shannon, Xavier, Omari, Sean, and Liam Colgan. Blessed with artistic talent and an outgoing loveable personality, Warren spent time in retirement with family and close friends, dabbling in art, and was able to watch technology progress from the telegraph to being able to connect and transmit morse code over the internet. A celebration of his life was held Thursday, June 14, 2007, at Bunker's Garden Chapel, 33 N. Centennial Way, Mesa, AZ. Interment will be in the City of Mesa Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations are made to Christian Family Care Agency 3603 N. 7th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85013. Published in The Arizona Republic on 6/14/2007.