Donald J. Branby

These are men who inspired me as a kid. Hardworking men of the earth and sea. None of them were perfect, but each lived life on his own terms. If I can only come close to living the lives they've led, I'll have been successful.

(This is my Uncle, my Dad's older brother)

Donald J. Branby, age 81, of Glenwood, MN, died Monday, March 8, 2010, at Glenwood Retirement Village in Glenwood, MN. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, March 27th at All Saint's Chapel in Glenwood Retirement Village, with Rev. Michael Hanson officiating. Arrangements are with Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home of Glenwood, MN.

Donald J. Branby, son of Gerhard and Ester (Helland) Branby, was born on December 29, 1928. Don grew up in Glenwood, MN and graduated college from Colorado University (CU). Don was a three-sport letterman at CU - football, basketball and baseball. His top honor was being named an Associated Press All-American in football in 1952 when he set numerous records. He was a seventh-round draft pick by the New York Giants in the 1953 Draft and went on to coach college football at Montana State and then in the Canadian Football League with the British Columbia Lions and the Ottawa Roughriders. He also spent four years in the Air Force, playing service football in which he earned high accolades. In 2004, Don was inducted into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame. Don worked for years at Gene Taylor's Sporting Goods in Snowmass and Grand Junction Colorado.

Don is survived by his sisters Bette Schaub and Wanda Miller and one brother, Harlan (Babe) Branby.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Manferd and Garfield.

Don Branby
Football, Basketball, Baseball

• Three-Sport Letterman
• Football First-Team All-American
• CU Record Holder In Fumble Recoveries
• Longtime college and professional coach

Don Branby was one of the last three-sport lettermen in Colorado history, as he earned nine in all playing football, basketball and baseball. His top honor was being named an Associated Press All-American in football in 1952, when he set what are still CU records with seven fumble recoveries and nine takeaways. Published reports at the time said he had at least 20 tackles in a 21-21 tie with Oklahoma, the Sooners’ lone blemish in their famous Big 7 Conference run. He was just the sixth CU player to be invited to play in a postseason all-star game when he appeared in the 1953 East-West Shrine Game. A seventh round draft pick by the New York Giants in the 1953 Draft (the 79th player selected overall), he went on After his playing days, he went into coaching in college at Montana State, and then in the Canadian Football League with the British Columbia Lions and the Ottawa Roughriders. In basketball, he scored 165 points in 45 career games in primarily a reserve role, though he led the Buffaloes in free throw percentage in 1951-52, making a then unheard of 39-of-48 tries (81.3%). In baseball, he played first base, third base and in the outfield; his 16 runs batted in were the third most on the team his senior year. He also spent four years in the Air Force, playing service football in which he also earned high accolades.