Never a fire chief, but 50 years of service in the rural fire department. Never a mayor or City Councilor, but a fixture on the city zoning and variance board. Never the president of the Fair Board or Carousel Board, but always present to build, repair or help run an event.
One might call Les Vossler a man in the shadows.
If you’ve spent any time in Boulder, it’s likely you would have crossed paths with him. Whether he was stocking ice cream and milk in the grocery store’s dairy section, chatting with neighbors at the post office, or offering his skills to build a house, dig a trench, or rent a storage unit, he was a colorful part of the community. Just like a piece of one of the many jigsaw puzzles he loved to diligently put together, he made the Boulder community landscape complete.
Les took pride in his faith, family, and the community he regarded as an extension of his family. From a young age, he learned the value of caring for family as he moved several times between locations in Montana to farm with different relatives and even returned home from a stint at college to help his parents ranch in Wyoming. At one point, he took a job at JCPenney in the Midwest to work with his brother. He would forever be a “Penney’s” man, always finding a way to fit a JCPenney story into a conversation.
During his 52 years in Boulder, he became an integral piece of the town. He never made the front page of the newspaper or gave any public speeches, but he was always present at meetings or events that affected or showcased the community to ensure things were done, and done right. You would be hard pressed to pass through any corner of this community and not see something he personally built or had a hand in helping come to fruition: the rodeo grounds, the carousel, the First Baptist Church.
In his last few years, he became impassioned to make Boulder vibrant again and also to care for those in the community who needed a little extra help. He was willing to work however hard, and with whomever was interested, to bring new life to his community on Main Street — by renovating the Raghorn Bar, for one, or building affordable housing.
Ultimately, Boulder has been improved by having someone like Les to love it and call it home. His absence leaves a significant gap, like a missing border piece in one of his cherished puzzles.
