After Jake Worrell’s wife, Joan, gave him the donkey he said he had always wanted, he told her not to give him any more anniversary gifts.
Flapjack the donkey did have a starring role in a local nativity scene, but after five years, Jake Worrell had had enough. It worried him when his veterinarian daughter, Terry McQuade of Caribou, Maine, told him the donkey might outlive him.
Worrell, better known as the manager of the Blue Spruce Inn and owner of Andrea’s Restaurant in Frisco, died May 9 at Hospice of St. John in Lakewood. He was 75.
A service for Worrell will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge.
The Blue Spruce specialized in continental food, featuring steaks, lemon veal and scampi. Andrea’s had French food but wasn’t as successful. Breckenridge “just wasn’t ready for French food,” said Joan Worrell.
They went into the business because their son Jeff, now of Dayton, Minn., is a chef.
Jake Worrell was close to his family and “had a great ability to laugh,” said his wife, adding that their marriage was based on love and friendship. She said they enjoyed their time in the restaurant business “mostly because of the great people who worked for us.”
Each year, the Worrells and their dozen or so employees would take three days off for a getaway, sharing the costs.
The family also enjoyed about every imaginable pet at one time or another: ducks, a pig, rabbits, a hamster and a parrot, as well as the donkey.
The snow drought in the 1980-81 season damaged the restaurant business, Joan Worrell said. In fact, the ski business was so bad for everyone that someone put up a sign in Breckenridge that read: “Will the last one out please turn off the lights.” They retired from the restaurant in 1985.
Jacob S. Worrell was born Oct. 12, 1930, in Baltimore. On Sept. 10, 1949, he married Joan Pfeiffer while he was attending the University of Maryland.
“He lived up the street from me,” Joan Worrell said.
Her brother introduced them.
After earning a degree in aerospace engineering, Jake Worrell worked at Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin). The family had a small place in Breckenridge, which it visited every weekend.
Finally, the family decided to enlarge the Breckenridge home and move there.
Six months ago, the family moved to Buena Vista for the more moderate climate.
In addition to his wife, daughter and son, Jake Worrell is survived by sons Mike Worrell of Breckenridge, Chris Worrell of Westminster, Md., Dave Worrell of Denver, and Eric Worrell of Santa Fe; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and his brother, Bob Worrell of Lakewood.
Staff writer Virginia Culver can be reached at vculver@denverpost.com or 303-820-1223.
