JAMESTOWN -- Finding the right way, place, and time to honor a person’s impact when they pass away can be challenging. For Glenn Short, the most difficult of those aspects was the right time.
Glenn, born on July 26, 1955, grew up in Platteville, Wisconsin, earning a music degree from the eponymous University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He played and performed music all his life and loved the mountains, living in Boulder and Jamestown for parts of his life.
After being hospitalized for a heart attack, Glenn passed away on September 20, 2023. Plans for a memorial service started forming, with hopes to gather family, friends, and community members from all over the country whom Glenn had impacted.
On April 13, 2025, the community gathered in the Jamestown Mercantile to honor Glenn in an open remembrance. Friends and loved ones traveled from across Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Washington, and Missouri for the service.
Those who attended shared their memories of Glenn, with some reading letters written by those who could not make it. All of their stories shared a core quality of Glenn’s: his compassion. Remembering Glenn as a quiet but caring man, they fondly recounted his passion for music and his consistent kindness.
Some of those gathered knew Glenn more closely than others. Some only knew Glenn for a few months, while others knew him for over 50 years, during their childhoods. Universally, though, the group emphasized his big heart and fun personality.
Longtime friend Terry Moore fondly remembers playing a non-sequitur game he made up with Glenn. The challenge: converse with anything at all, just don’t repeat yourself, and don’t even break a smile. Terry recounts that Glenn, with his off-kilter sense of humor, won every time.
Glenn’s sister, Karen Short Richardson, credits Glenn for teaching her how to ride a bike, encouraging her to sing and play guitar and piano, and constantly making her laugh. Glenn’s brother, Ken Short, knew the remembrance should be a quieter event in a community that Glenn loved to remember his positivity, support, and kindness.
Long-time musical partner Tom Morgan, founder, artistic director, and conductor of the Boulder chorus Ars Nova Singers, conducted three pieces sung by Ars Nova to celebrate Glenn’s longtime involvement in the group: “The Road Home” by Stephen Paulus; “Earth Song” by Frank Ticheli; and “Deep Peace” by Bill Douglas. The event wound down with a performance from the local band Swamp Koolers, for which Glenn played bass, and concluded with the whole gathering singing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” one of Glenn’s favorite songs.
Ultimately, the event was personal, laid-back, and deeply moving. For those who knew and loved Glenn, it provided a sense of closure and reminded them of the traits he embraced most: love, compassion, and hope.
