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Captain Earthman enters hospice care as his return to “the mothership” nears

The longtime Coors Field and Red Rocks beer man is almost at the end of his battle with two inoperable, grade-IV brain tumors

Brent Doeden, aka 'Captain Earthman', center, ...
RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post
Brent Doeden, also known as Captain Earthman, center, is welcomed by old friends as he arrives to Coors Field for the Colorado Rockies’ home opener Coors Field, on April 7, 2017 in Denver. Doedan, a longtime popular beer vendor at Coors Field, has terminal brain cancer.
Kyle Newman, digital prep sports editor for The Denver Post.
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
Getting your player ready...

Renowned Rockies vendor Brent Doeden, better known to fans as Captain Earthman, has entered hospice care at his Arvada home due to the recent rapid progression of his two inoperable brain tumors.

Earthman became an icon in his two-plus decades of work at Coors Field, Red Rocks and other Colorado sporting events, having endeared himself to locals with his wacky hats, humorous quips and relentless dedication to the craft of vending.

Now, he’s nearing his call home to “the mothership,” as the Earthman himself often liked to say throughout his illness.

“It could be three days, it could be a week, it could be a month,” said Earthman’s wife, Becky Scharfenberg. “But I don’t think he will be with us beyond that, only because of the sharp decline he’s had over the last few weeks.”

The 61-year-old and managed to make it out to four more Rockies games this summer — including, most recently, the team’s dramatic walk-off win on Father’s Day — and the music fanatic also saw one more Red Rocks concert at Sunday’s Widespread Panic show.

“It was a little touch and go at the concert, but we decided a half-an-hour worth of joy was going to be worth any kind of hardship on our family taking care of him,” Scharfenberg said. “We ended up staying for about two hours, because once he got here he was very excited.”

Earthman can no longer walk, speak or recognize anyone besides his wife and daughters, but Scharfenberg said he’s resting comfortably at home.

“We still wanted him at home, where family and friends could come over,” Scharfenberg said. “Plus, he’s surrounded by his cats and his records and all of his stuff — I know it makes him happy even if he can’t express it.”

Scharfenberg encourages any of Earthman’s fans wishing to honor his legacy to donate to the a non-profit that empowers and supports brain tumor patients.

It’s a final quest that speaks to what made Earthman such a remarkable vendor — his relentless desire to make people happy.

“He’s impacted so many people, because he’s the kind of guy who has always loved to bring joy to people,” Scharfenberg. “I’ll always be so proud to have been with a man like that.”

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