DENVER—When Claudia Boettcher Merthan passed away last week, Colorado lost not only a philanthropic leader but also a quiet force whose grace, vision, and generosity helped shape our state for generations.
Far beyond titles or accomplishments, Claudia’s influence lives on in the thousands of lives she touched. And that impact, which includes countless individuals who never met her personally, will outlast any list of accolades.
Claudia served on the Boettcher Foundation’s Board of Trustees from 1987-2008. For 15 of those years, she chaired the Board, guiding her great grandfather Charles Boettcher’s legacy through a period of growth and change.
Under her steady hand, the Foundation’s assets grew from $92 million to more than $300 million. In addition, Boettcher supported nearly 3,000 Colorado nonprofits with more than $176 million in grants. These resources built hospitals, libraries, and community centers, strengthened rural healthcare, and expanded opportunities in higher education.
But her influence was never just about numbers. What set Claudia apart was her leadership style: humble, steady, and profoundly people-centered. She embodied stewardship, both honoring her family’s intent while also staying open to new ideas that reflected the times.
She asked thoughtful questions, listened intently, and cared deeply about those around her. Claudia was 92, and died Sept. 6 in Eureka, SD, where she had lived since 2008.
I first met Claudia as an 18-year-old walking nervously into my Boettcher Scholarship interview. I knew the Boettcher name and its legacy, but I didn’t yet understand how much it would shape my life.
Being selected as a Boettcher Scholar remains one of the greatest honors of my life. It opened doors to an extraordinary education, gave me freedom to pursue opportunities without the burden of debt, and eventually led me to work at the Foundation in a temporary role after finishing my undergraduate degree from CU Boulder.
That one-year job has turned into a 25+ year career at Boettcher that I could have never imagined. Claudia’s belief in me changed the course of my life.
And I am far from alone. When Claudia retired in 2008, letters from Scholars poured in, offering gratitude and reflection. Their words reveal the breadth of her impact.
One wrote, “Not one of the honors bestowed upon me throughout my 30-year career can begin to compare with having received a Boettcher Scholarship. It has been a cornerstone of my entire adult life.”
Another shared that the scholarship gave him a community that felt like family and instilled the confidence to fully commit to learning.
Another Scholar who had recently graduated recalled sitting beside Claudia at a Rockies game, instantly embraced by her warmth and grace.
These stories reflect what so many experienced: Claudia and the Foundation she led did more than provide financial support. They instilled belief. They gave young people permission to dream bigger, to lead boldly, and to give back. That spirit of belief was rooted in the Boettcher family’s story itself.
The Boettchers were a family of immigrant entrepreneurs who chose to pay it forward to the state’s people and future. Claudia became the keeper of the family gift, guiding it with humility and vision so its impact would endure for generations.
The ripple effects have been extraordinary: Scholars have become educators, doctors, entrepreneurs, engineers, and public servants; Scholars today mentor others because someone once believed in them; Scholars have raised their own children with the values of generosity and service.
What strikes me in these reflections is how deeply personal Claudia’s impact was. She did not see philanthropy as a transaction. More importantly, it was a relationship. Investing in people meant more than writing checks. To her, it meant cultivating confidence, encouraging risk-taking, and creating a sense of belonging.
Claudia’s legacy is etched into Colorado’s institutions, but more importantly, it lives on in individuals. It lives in the students who pursued higher education without debt. It lives in the communities strengthened by gathering spaces and healthcare facilities. It lives in the thousands of Scholars (me included) who were forever changed by her family’s generosity and her personal stewardship.
Her passing is a profound loss, but her example endures. Claudia showed us that leadership can be principled and kind, rooted in tradition yet open to change, humble in demeanor yet expansive in impact. She reminded us that philanthropy is not about recognition but about responsibility—to serve, to steward, and to believe in others.
Colorado is better because Claudia Boettcher Merthan gave so much of herself to it.
As we remember her, may we carry forward the lesson she modeled so beautifully: that true leadership is found not in spotlight or acclaim, but in the quiet, steadfast work of building opportunities for others.
Katie Kramer is president and CEO of the Boettcher Foundation.
The following testimonies, written upon her retirement from the Board of Trustees, reveal Claudia’s profound impact on Scholars and other community members.
“Every year on the anniversary of my award notification – April 1 – my parents, husband Dan and I each raise a glass to your family. We do so in profound thanks for the deeply meaningful lives that you have enabled us to pursue and in recognition of our privilege and responsibility to advance your family’s spirit of service.”
– Katy Craig, 1995 Scholar, and current principal of Katy Craig Coaching
“I will always remember your unassuming yet powerful leadership style. As Scholars, while we cannot pay you back, please know that we are trying to pay it forward. In small ways, we are continuing the legacy of your family.”
– Kenzo Kawanabe, 1990 Scholar, Partner at Olson Grimsley Kawanabe Hinchcliff & Murray LLC
“Thank you for allowing me to enter a community that has shaped my life story. Thank you for encouraging my passions and giving me the opportunity to pursue them. Thank you for choosing to believe in me.”
– Dr. Cody Cichowitz, MPH, 2007 Scholar, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco
“Thank you very much for the role you have played in my education and life. You live out the ideals of the Foundation, often behind the scenes.”
– Dr. Mark Kissler, 2006 Scholar, Assistant Professor, Medicine-Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
