 Wed, Nov 19, 2008 03:51 PM
| 2005-10-13 |
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2008-05-29  Golden News | Longtime Golden champion dies
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| | By Meredith Knight |
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May 29, 2008
Doc Ourada was a gold panner, taxi driver, petroleum engineer and a Golden City Council member. He served on the city council and liquor authority, overseeing some major changes for Golden including downtown redevelopment and establishment of the Fossil Trace Golf Course.
The long-time Golden resident died May 5, five years after the death of his wife, Alma.
Ourada came to Golden from Chicago to attend the Colorado School of Mines in the 1950s. He paid his way through school year by year with a series of odd jobs, including taxi driving for the Golden Cab Co., where he won his nickname, "Doc." He graduated in 1956 and subsequently returned to Chicago where he worked as a petroleum engineer.
Ourada's sister, Marilynn Ervin, described him as "kind of an adventurer." He was a World War II hero, and received a bronze star for leading a team of 10 men to repair a communications line under extreme fire. During the mission four of his men died.
"He was a hero," his stepson Duke Ourada said. Ourada never spoke about his military service to his family, according to Duke Ourada. After retiring, Ourada and his wife Alma returned to Golden where the couple lived for nearly 30 years. Ourada was often seen out walking his dogs and working in his garden.
Ourada started his career in political service after his return to Golden where he served for eight years on the city council from 1985 to 1994, and five years on the city liquor authority from 2001 to 2006.
"You could always count on Doc to have his homework done," said former Golden Mayor, Marvin Kay who served with Ourada on the council.
Ourada was effective on budgetary and strategic planning projects and he always knew the facts, according to Kay. His name is engraved on the monument at Fossil Trace Golf Course.
"Doc had the city at heart," Duke Ourada said. He is survived by his son, Duke Ourada of Willow, Ala.; daughter, Carolyn Grover; sister, Marilynn Erwin of Berwyn, Ill.; and a grandson, Hunter.
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