Rollen Powell, a true American patriot, passed away Wednesday morning June 14th, 2023 at the age of 83, at the UMC hospital in El Paso, TX.  Rollen was preceded in death by his parents, Mary Margaret Powell (Miller) and Lawrence Andrew Powell along with his brother Kent Allan Powell (wife Sherran).  He is survived by his wife Jennie Wren Powell of Ruidoso, NM, sons Evan Lawrence Powell of Fulshear, TX and family (wife Stacy, son Andrew, daughter Abigail) and Scott Wesley Powell of Highlands Ranch, CO and family (wife Karyn, son Wesley, son Henry), his sister Mary Kathleen Newton of Louisville, CO and family (daughter Andrea, son Geoffrey), his brother-in-law Patrick G. Elmore of Las Cruces, NM (wife Sharon) and niece Honey Kay Powell (daughter of Kent and Sherran Powell) of Climax Springs, Missouri.

Rollen was born in Steamboat Springs, CO.  He, along with his brother Kent and sister Kathleen, grew up as part of a ranching family, where he learned to ride horses, hunt, and fish. His father managed cattle ranches in both Clark and Toponas Colorado while his mother taught at one-room schoolhouses in those areas.  The family moved from Toponas to Steamboat Springs in 1953 when Rollen was in the eighth grade. His mother accepted an English teaching job in the Junior High there where she taught for 25 years. Learning to ski at a young age and living in Steamboat allowed him to develop into an excellent skier.  He loved it and continued to ski into his 70's while living in Ruidoso.

Prior to attending college, he and his cousin Wayne Powell moved to Mexico as part of an "adventure."  There he traveled the country and learned to speak Spanish, frequently writing to his mother and father about their experiences. Rollen attended the University of Colorado in Boulder from 1958 to 1962, where he obtained a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations.  He was also an active member of the Sigma Nu fraternity.

After university, Rollen joined the United States Air Force as an officer attending officer candidate school (OTS) at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.  He was initially assigned to the Laredo Air Force Base in Laredo, Texas where he learned to fly the T-38 and was eventually stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in Newark, New Jersey. In 1965 Rollen was sent to Vietnam where he was a Squadron Commander at the Air Force base in Saigon.  Out of sheer coincidence, he was stationed in Saigon at the same time as his brother who was in the United States Army.

After his time in Vietnam, Rollen came home to the states and was stationed at Norton Airforce Base in San Bernardino, California where he met the love of his life, Jennie Wren Elmore.  Rollen and Jennie married on December 27, 1967 at the Norton Airforce base in San Bernadino, California.  He left the Air Force in 1968 and enrolled in graduate school at the University of Wyoming. While there he was recruited into the FBI.  He and Jennie moved to Landover Maryland to start the FBI training in Washington DC for his career as a Special Agent, which he did for over 25 years. The FBI would take him across the country living in Oklahoma City, OK, New Orleans, LA, Lafayette, LA and Albuquerque, NM.

While living in Louisiana from 1970-1990, Rollen became a serious saltwater fisherman (and shrimper), often fishing the coastal bays and deep seas in the Gulf of Mexico.  It was there where he passed on his love for fishing to his sons Evan and Scott.

Rollen eventually retired in 1995 while living in Albuquerque and bought property in Ruidoso, NM where he and Jennie built their home in the mountains.  Even though he was retired, Rollen was very active.  He enjoyed working out regularly at the local gym, snow skiing, climbing mountains and wood working.  He also bought a motorcycle and rode across the country to visit family and friends.  His longest ride was a month-long trip to Alaska that he took in 1998 with nine friends (mostly retired FBI agents). Rollen and Jennie loved travelling, frequently visiting their grandkids, family and friends across the country. Rollen was also a master craftsman, building most of their house in Ruidoso himself.  As a hobby, he built custom tables and bowls that he would turn on his lathe, many of them winning awards at local shows and selling for top dollar. He and Jennie were also members of the Ruidoso Mountain Top Turners.

Rollen was also dedicated to knowing and tracking his family's history.  He completed genealogy research dating back to Wales, Scotland, and England where most of his relatives immigrated from.  He collaborated with his sister to produce a history book of the Powell family, which he gifted to all the Powell cousins.  Some of his favorite stories of distant relatives were about his grandfather's cousin, G. Evan Vaughn, who would play old Welsh music on his guitar under the Colorado skies making a significant an impression on Rollen.  It was Evan Vaughn whom Rollen and Jennie named their first son after.

Rollen lived a full life, representing the person most people strive to be.  He pushed himself to learn how to do things himself, always helping others where and when he could.  Out of everything he achieved in life, he was most known for being a kind and loving man who took care of his family and was always there for friends.  He would tell his sons that in life you should always strive to "Do the right thing," which is the motto he lived by.  A husband, father, brother, uncle, cousin, friend and overall great man who will be dearly missed.

Click HERE to view the recorded memorial.

Passcode: V0ygb066