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Jim Havey, lovingly known as Colorado’s Ken Burns

Jim Havey, who came to be known as the Ken Burns of Colorado with his many films documenting the history of the Rocky Mountain West, died Jan. 19. He was 74.

His films – notably “Colfax Avenue,” “Broomfield,” “Centennial Statehouse,” “The Great Divide” and “The Five States of Colorado” – have educated Coloradans for decades and have long been considered to be valuable resources in schools and libraries throughout the state. He won three Heartland Emmy Awards for his work.

Havey retired in April after “The Five States of Colorado” debuted with a screening at the Denver Botanic Gardens and an airing on KTVD Channel 20. It was an updated take on Havey’s seminal 1989 doc of the same name. The two films illustrate how Colorado has evolved into a population as diverse as the land itself – one with five distinct regions, each with its own history, geography and economy. 

The updated film, narrated by Colorado Theatre Guild Lifetime Achievement Award-winning actor and director Billie McBride, “will help stimulate education and community conversations about our state for years to come,“ Colorado Humanities Executive Director Maggie Coval said in April.

McBride called Havey “a really terrific guy and a true professional.” Many times when an actor is hired to do voiceover work, she said, the employer wants the actor to sound like someone else. “Jim was one person who, if he hired me, it was because my voice is what he wanted,” said McBride, who narrated four Havey films.

There are five upcoming community screenings of “The Five States of Colorado” scheduled around the state, including tonight (Thursday) in Ridgway:

  • Jan. 25: Ridgway, 7 p.m.
  • Jan. 26: La Junta, 4 p.m.
  • Feb. 1: Greeley, 6:30 p.m.
  • Feb. 6: Alamosa, 7 p.m.
  • May 17: Ouray, 7 p.m.
  • Details: coloradohumanities.org

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Havey grew up on the South Side of Chicago craving adventure in the American West. Once in Colorado, he fell in with a group of kindred spirits that became known as the Bad Boys – a group of outsiders who camped under the stars and lived life to the fullest.

Havey first picked up a camera in those years and fell in love with photography. He opened Havey Productions on March 2, 1979, and eventually found his niche in multi-image presentations and film.

His favorite film was said to be “The Great Divide” – a documentary about Colorado water not to be confused with the 2023 Denver Film Festival documentary of the same name about gun control.

At the time of his death, Havey was working on a film about Rocky Flats. Donations toward completion of that project are being accepted at fullbodyburden.allyrafundraising.com.

Havey supported a number of local nonprofits through his work, including Historic Denver, History Colorado, Colorado Preservation Inc., Denver Water, Children’s Hospital, Hope West and The Daniels Fund.

He was married to wife Charlotte for 44 years. They had two children, Nathan and Alysha.

Havey died from complications related to Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia, according to family friend Danielle Dascalos. “His decline was shocking and quick, but Jim Havey left this world a little better than he found it,” she said. 

A celebration is planned from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Denver Botanic Gardens’ Mitchell Hall.

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