Garth Howard Greenlee was born on December 20, 1938 in Cortez, Colorado to Howard E. and Gailen L. (Longenbaugh) Greenlee.

Garth’s early years were spent helping his dad on the Greenlee Ranch south of Cortez and on the upper Dolores river near the Stoner area. Garth always had a passion for ranch life and loved helping his dad fix fences, work cows, and irrigate. He and his brother Don were very close and spent many hours with their dad at the family cabin up the river.

In June of 1954, at the age of 14, Garth got a job as a gas boy with Cortez Flying Service. He spent many hours gassing and learning about airplanes and the pilots wasted no time in teaching Garth how to fly. At age 15 Garth was flying planes and at 16 he received his student license and made his first cross-country solo flight. He spent the next 49 years of his life doing what he loved the most, flying airplanes of all kinds and owning a couple different flying services.

On December 14, 1989 Garth married the love of his life, Sandy Suckla. Garth liked to talk about how Sandy went everywhere with him and that he knew she would follow him to the moon and back. They spent the next 36 years loving and caring for each other and Garth took Sandy’s family as his own and they took him as their own. He was an integral part of his grand-children’s and great grand-children’s lives. He was their “Papa Garth”.

In 2008 Garth couldn’t pass his eye test, due to macular degeneration, and had to stop flying. It was devastating news for him but he accepted things the way they were and poured himself into Sandy and his grand-children, taking his grandson with him to irrigate and fish, going on picnics in the mountains with all of them and even facing down the cops when they came to his door because his grand-children were throwing pop rocks in the driveway and were reported by the neighbors. A few years later he and Sandy were blessed with great grand-children and he spent many hours playing with them. He also enjoyed going to the rec center, swimming and working out. When weather permitted he could be seen riding his three-wheel bicycle to and from and hearing the sound of his bicycle horn.

In later years Garth made a voice recording of his exploits as a charter pilot. They were transcribed into book form and many people have enjoyed reading about his many years of flying adventures in his book, A Charter Pilot.

Garth trusted Christ as his savior and followed his Lord in baptism on July 30, 2016 at the Bradfield Bridge. He talked about heaven many times during the last year and a half of his life, after losing his beloved wife Sandy, and was looking forward to meeting her there.

Over his 49-year flying career, Garth logged 23,500 total hours flying single engine airplanes and 8,500 hours flying multi-engine airplanes. On May 31, 2026 he logged his last and most important flight home to Heaven, where he told us numerous times, he knew his Sandy was waiting for him.

Garth is survived by his son Mike Greenlee, his step-daughters Shannon Williamson (Charley), Kelly Oliver (Rick), his grand-children Keslie Kidd (Jeff), Andrew Layton (Kadee), Danna Ruggles (Matt), Kenzie Harris (Johnny), Chase Suckla (Madi), Tanner Suckla (TaeLyn) and great grand-children Scarlett Kidd, Aubree Ruggles, Kinley and Jett Layton, Peyton and Jordi Suckla and Kenny Harris as well as a host of loving cousins, extended relatives and dear friends.

He is also survived by another step-daughter and step-son from a previous marriage, Shaun Blackman and Chuck Blackman.

Garth was preceded in death by his wife Sandy, his beloved son David Mark Greenlee and his beloved step-son Jim Justin “Judd” Suckla. Also preceding him in death were his loving parents along with his three brothers Darrell, Don, James (Jimmy) and his sister Cheryl.