Rene Mitchel Labelle

Rene Mitchel LaBelle, 75, of Aurora, passed away March 11, 2016.

He was born December 31, 1940 in International Falls, Minnesota, the son of Harold and Beatrice (McMahon) LaBelle. He was a graduate of International Falls High School. Rene joined the Army shortly thereafter, serving as a staff writer for the Pacific Stars and Stripes Newspaper, based out of Tokyo, Japan. He returned home after his service, beginning a long career in management.

On November 13, 1965 he married Marlys Mae Hof, of Watertown, South Dakota. Rene and Marlys met at the local Montgomery Ward's store, where Rene sold shoes. They soon started their family, with the arrival of daughter Christine and sons Michael and Jason. The 1960s-1980s saw the LaBelle family move across South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Colorado, Wyoming, and Texas, with Rene managing retail stores such as Ward's, Gibson's, and Ardan's.

Rene and Marlys were able to return to Colorado in 1987, establishing their home in Aurora. Rene went on to wholesale management, working for both Commtron and Ingram Entertainment. Rene and Marlys loved Colorado and enjoyed travelling throughout the state. However, their most notable globe-trekking adventure was to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Marlys was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the mid-1990s, and Rene would eventually retire from work to become her care giver.

Rene loved searching antique shops, flea markets, and thrift stores for assorted forgotten treasures. He was particularly proud of his collection of vintage cameras. Rene loved playing trivia with his friends and sharing his masterful knowledge of movies and sports. He also loved gardening, seeing his family, watching the Broncos, and sitting on his backyard porch throughout the long Colorado summer.

Rene is survived by his children, Christine Toulouse, Michael (Angela) LaBelle, Jason (Laura) LaBelle; four grandchildren, Hannah Toulouse, Ethan LaBelle, Maxwell LaBelle, and Frances LaBelle; and two sisters, Leslie (Joe) Boone and Mary Ellen (Duane) Schaan. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marlys LaBelle and parents, Harold and Beatrice LaBelle.

Finally, Rene loved the many dogs he kept over the years, including Teddy, Missy, Taffy, Ginger, Coco, Pongo, and King. Many of these were shelter dogs, so Rene requested that memorial contributions be made in his name to The Denver Dumb Friends League at http://www.ddfl.org/.

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