First and foremost, Joe was an exceptional father to an exceptional son, Coyle, born in 2006.   Coyle was Joe’s source of strength in his long hard battle with cancer.  He is survived by him and his sweet kitties as well as numerous dear, loyal friends and family members who helped him remain at home as he battled his cancer.   

 Joe was born in Denver, spent his youth there, with a two-year stint in upstate New York (when his Mom transferred her position), then back to Colorado in 1979 and Fort Collins became his home.  He graduated from FCHS in 1985.  He attended Colorado State University and earned a degree in Environmental Studies in 1997.  

After college, Joe taught courses in outdoor leadership skills and for a while worked in Steamboat Springs where he was one of the early pioneers and a life-long practitioner of snowboarding. Joes lifelong friend Chip shared this love and they spent hours on the slopes all over Colorado.

He began his career at the Colorado Water Conservation Board in Denver, where his first job was doing administrative support work.   Around the turn of the century Joe joined the State of Colorado Department of Natural Resources as a Scientist Researcher in the Watershed and Flood Protective Section where he became that state of Colorado person securing permits for weather modification (or cloud seeding) programs.  He really enjoyed this work and continued working until just before his passing.  Joe was a project leader in mountain snow science, cloud seeding, and streamflow communities.

He was passionate about using and developing cutting edge science in all his projects.  His ability to develop relationships and bring people together was key to his success on projects such as expanding and modernizing the Colorado cloud seeding programs, procuring a mountain top radar, SNOTEL and radiometer deployments, developing his own snow course near Willow Creek Pass, and even getting a river surfing wave constructed on the South Platte River in downtown Denver. 

He served as President of the North American Weather Modification Council, and received the Black Crow and as well as the Thunderbird award from the Weather Modification Association. He received two Lifetime Service Awards and one from the Mile-High Flood District, who also awarded him a Friend of the South Platte River Award.  Joe was working with NASA on a project that was monitoring snow pack with a plan for forecasting and the NASA satellite was redirected over the flightpath that could contribute then most useful data in the Rio Grande and Gunnison regions. 

 Joe was the Son of Alice Auer Connor (Ori) and Ken Connor of Fort Collins, CO; brother of Stephen Busto, Seattle WA; Step-brother of Mike Connor/Susan and family of Dardenne Prairie, MO; John Heigert and Kendra Mc Alear of Sarver, PA; Nephew of Marilyn Auer of Denver, CO; Gloria Auer of Longmont, CO ( Joe and Sam Bein); Dan and Bonnie Auer of Vashon Island, WA,  (Callum and Sawyer); David and Alia Auer of Littleton CO, ( Ryan and Jennie and family, Solomon, Shane and Randy). An adopted uncle Tom Cowhick, of Denver, CO completes Joe’s related family that he was close to throughout his entire life.  Joe had special close relationships with his aunts and uncles.  He shared his love of music and art with them.

 Joe's Grout family and West family cousins were a big part of his Denver family as well.  A life full of plants, art, sculpture and music were major components of his home environment.

 Joe was predeceased by Grandparents Mike and Virginia Auer and Uncle Tom Auer, Aunt Caryl Reidel all of Denver, CO. 

Special friends Shelli, Boston, Berlin Sprague of Lakewood, Tom Ryan of Hermosa Beach, CA and Chip Powers of Greenwood Village, Toby and Maria Trujillo  and the rest of the Trujillo clan of Lakewood, Dave Gochis of Boulder, CO, Dori Vigil and his co-workers at the DNR division should also be mentioned as members of Joe’s family of choice and outstanding support group at the end of his life. They surrounded Joe and Coyle for years with full love and caring. He had many outings and vacations with this group and spent his final months having new life experiences with them.

Joe’s brother Stephen was his continuous companion throughout his life, sharing hikes, travels and home improvement projects. They could be heard teasing and laughing all the way up St Mary’s Glacier, the preferred afternoon hike.  In 2018, Joe and Stephen hiked in the Olympic Peninsula to introduce Joe to the glories of other mountain chains in additions to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. 

Ken Connor, Joe’s step-father since he was 15 years old, had a special relationship as Joe learned all the aspects of becoming an all-around handy man and car mechanic.  In the mid 1980s they worked together to bring new life into an old 63 Fort Galaxy which Joe proudly drove until it quit, then came a series of Ford Explorers all needing TLC.  After Joe bought his house on Benton Street, Ken became the instructor on all things plumbing, electrical, mechanical, remodeling, etc and their years together and seemingly endless projects cemented their strong bond.  Joe and his Mother enjoyed shopping and thrifting and they had many fun excursions at Antique and Collectible shops finding the perfect gift. That tradition started when Joe was in kindergarten and continued until a few weeks before his death. 
They searched in every state they were in together, this year Joe found the perfect birthday present in June for his Mom's birthday, a great memory.

As mentioned above, he was a snowboarder from the day that sport was invented and loved it as well as most outdoor activities. He played hockey, basketball, ran, swam, biked, he was always moving.  Joe went paddle boarding, played baseball, soccer, jet-skiing, parasailing, snorkeling, zip-lining and swimming with sea turtles in Cancun.  Chip swimming alongside, like he had been for the past 40 years. 

 If Joe was awake, he was probably outside.  

Joe’s priority number one was always his beloved son.  Joe was an active, involved parent sharing custody with Coyle’s Mother, Donna Dilger.  Joe’s parenting style was to involve as much movement as possible, therefore trampolines were added to the back yard and swimming at the local pool became a weekly necessity in good weather.  Coyle was part fish just like his Dad.  Water, Water, Water.  Two peas in a pod.  Shelli and her family joined them at the pool weekly and that’s where their friendship began. Coyle loved the opportunity to engage with Shelli’s children Boston and Berlin.  They became Coyle Busto’s companions and helpers for the last three years.  Joe and Shelli   ran off to LV for a 50th birthday celebration, one of their many planned and spontaneous adventures. Joe loved to travel and was a welcome traveler.

Joe was a character, full of humor, sarcasm, snarky one-liners and energy. He was always working on his home projects or weeding his garden at dawn before he went to work. He enjoyed making a batch of green chili or watching (encouraging shouts?) some Nuggets/Broncos/Rockies game as an armchair quarter back.  Lots of weekends were spent chasing his beloved son Coyle thru the lawn sprinkler or hanging out with the loving friends and neighbors that surrounded him and his son.   Joe could usually be found at home, happy to be working on some small but meaningful home improvement project.  His courtyard was his haven.  Music playing and a bonfire roaring were his de-stressors.

Per his request, his ashes will be spread into the wind on the Grand Mesa, Crag Crest trail.   

Joe wanted a gathering of friends where stories could be shared and he could be toasted or roasted as appropriate to the story.  We will gather on January 11th at his home to remember our Joe.  The one and only Joe Busto.


May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.  May your mountains rise into and above the clouds?

Edward Abbey