Colman Findlay

Colman (Coley) Findlay, 88, of Boulder Junction, died peacefully June 11, 2015 in Minocqua. Born September 18, 1926 in Whitewater, WI, Coley was a Veteran of WWII. He married Katy (Kathleen May) Wiemer on April 19, 1948. His wife, Katy, married 67 years and their six children survive him. Christine (Dennis) Reuss, James Findlay, Janice (Robert) Aiken, Barbara Findlay, Charles (Sandi) Findlay and Michael Findlay. Grandchildren include Matthew (Elizabeth) Reuss, Laura (Kyle) Cronan, Nicholas (Amy) Findlay, Anna (Latham) Linstedt, Jake (Alyssa) Findlay, Andrew Findlay, Brian Findlay, and seven great-grandchildren. Coley established a long and successful career in Burlington, WI as owner and entrepreneur of Burlington Truck Rental. He had an avid interest in snowmobiling and in the earliest days of the sport, he was considered a pioneer in trail blazing. He and a team of fellow adventurers traveled from Green Bay, Wisconsin to Yellowstone National Park, nearly 2,200 miles via snowmobile. In the early 70’s there were no trails or guide maps to follow. This adventuresome spirit lead Coley to work as a promotional spokesman and trailblazer on behalf of the sport. His wife, Katy, joined in with enthusiasm. They relocated to UP NORTH, Boulder Junction, Wisconsin and volunteered countless hours to the sport and local snowmobile clubs. They frequently lead snowmobile excursions and have had their miles driven via snowmobile recorded and authenticated. To date, their combined miles have reached nearly 500,000! Coley’s snowmobile adventures were chronicled in countless magazines and newspaper articles including his successful rides over open water. For their effort in the sport, both Coley and Katy were inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame in 1999 and in 2006 Coley was inducted into the Snowmobile Hall of Fame, St. Germain, WI. A Celebration of Life memorial will be held in Boulder Junction, Monday, July 13, 2015 at St. Anne Catholic Church, Boulder Junction. Visitation will be held at St. Anne at 10:00 AM. A Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM and a luncheon will follow at the Boulder Junction Community Center. There will be Military Honors. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to St. Anne Church: P.O. Box 110, Boulder Junction, WI 54512.

Colman Findlay

September 18, 1926 - June 11, 2015