|
|
Adolph Coors IV - Introduction
There was a women's organization called the Junior League that my wife Betsy was
asked to join, and the new group of members were formed into a provisional class. The husbands were invited to several functions. The first one of these functions was the setting for my first meeting with Adolph (Ad) Coors IV.
Our meeting was not only a pleasant surprise, but we both found ourselves in the same dilemma, we wanted to be supportive of our wives, but the circumstances were difficult, at best. However, as
it is so often true that you actually have time to get to know someone really well at times like these, and that happened for me and Ad.
I must admit that my preconceived opinion about Ad with a name last name of Coors
could not have been more inaccurate. The Coors family name is probably the most publicly recognized name in the country today. As Ad started sharing his story with me, it was almost incredible how humble and apologetic his
manner was, and also so sincere with everything he said.
As a young man he literally idolized his father, who was the oldest of three grandsons, destined to take over one of the largest breweries, and
the largest ceramic company in the country. However that plan was never fulfilled, because in the early 60's when he was a young teenager, his father was kidnapped, held for ransom and then brutally butchered to death.
All of Ad's dreams as a young air apparent to this dynasty shattered. He watched his mother, who was very much in love with his father, rapidly go down hill. Ad himself got very defensive and finally
one night as he was coming home from the plant he got into a nearly fatal car crash. As he was recovering, he had a lot of time to think about the "Rat Race" he was in at that time of his life. As looked at his family
situation, the business situation and decided that God had a different plan for his life, and he and BJ, his wife, decided that his story needed to be told.
Ad had so much anger in his heart
towards the man which had butchered his father, that he knew he had to ask forgiveness from the man who had been caught and sentenced to life in prison. However, when he went down to the prison the man would not see him during
three different trips. The warden finally told the prisoner that Mr. Coors had come down to ask for his forgiveness for the anger and hate which he had for him. This was such a surprise to the prisoner that Ad's apology changed
his life and that gave him an early release.
Many of us think how nice it would be to be born into the right family with the right last name. Well, Ad is a living example that having the courage
of his convictions and pursuing the plan that God has for his life was very important. Ad has spent the last 20 years of his life going all over the country telling his story of how God's grace not only saved his life, but his
marriage and his being as a fulfilled man of God.
Ad and his wife BJ have two grown sons and one grandchild. Together they are helping to build another generation of Coors family that wants to make a difference for the
Kingdom of God.
|
