February 19, 1936– June 22, 2025

Glenn De Groot, son of John and Johanna (Vander Burgh) De Groot was born February 19, 1936, on a farm in Murray County, Minn., the youngest of three children. He passed away after a short illness on June 22, 2025 in Littleton, Colo. He was 89.

Glenn attended Edgerton Public Schools, graduating in 1954. He attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D., and earned a B.S. in civil engineering in June 1958. He subsequently joined the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey and was assigned to work on hydrographic surveys in Southeast Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. During his second winter in the Survey, he participated in a hydrographic cruise to and thru the Panama Canal and in hydrographic surveys on Nantucket Shoals.

Glenn married Joy Bouma of Edgerton, Minn. in February 1961 in Denver, Colo., where their son Bradley was born.

Following his discharge from the Survey, Glenn began a long career with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. He was assigned to the soils engineering branch in Denver, testing and analyzing soils as a construction material. In 1974, he was transferred to the Arizona Projects Office as a concrete specialist for the Central Arizona Project, a critical water system for the Phoenix, Ariz. metropolitan area. Glenn earned an M.S. in Water Resources Engineering from the University of Colorado in 1976. After retiring from the Bureau of Reclamation, Glenn worked for a number of engineering firms, serving as a resident engineer on construction projects, including a runway project at Denver International Airport and a project on Wolford Mountain Reservoir near Kremmling, Colo. He also consulted on paving projects near Syracuse, N.Y. and Salmon, Idaho.

With farming in his blood, Glenn enjoyed a lifelong dedication to the family farm near Edgerton, often spending his vacations mending fence and working with the Ryswyk and Feste families, who continue to manage day-to-day operations. In his spare time, Glenn enjoyed fishing in Minnesota lakes and Colorado high country streams. Several fishing excursions with his friends were among his most treasured outings. He also enjoyed traveling with Joy to Southern Colorado, Mexico, Alaska, New Zealand, and Holland, among other destinations. Glenn was an accomplished woodworker; his favorite wood was oak, and he took great satisfaction in crafting useful pieces of furniture, lamps, and even music stands for his granddaughters. He was also an avid student of markets, and expressed his devotion to his family and faith through generous financial gifts. Glenn enjoyed serving his neighbors through handyman projects and snow removal. He was happiest at home when he was busy with his hands, crafting, fixing and maintaining the property. 

Glenn was a longstanding member of Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church in Englewood, Colo., and spent several years volunteering for the CCPC Carpenter’s Helpers team.

Glenn is survived by his wife of 64 years, Elaine Joy of Centennial, Colo., son Brad (Krista) and granddaughters Ingrid and Britta of Dillon, Mont., sister Phyllis (Ed) De Vries of Sheldon, Iowa, and many nieces and nephews. 

Services for Glenn will be at 11 a.m. on July 16, 2025 at Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church.