Death can be tragic, but for Colleen Hollenbeck it has also been a teacher and, somewhat ironically, a harbinger of hope in humanity. Hollenbeck will retire next week as Ouray County’s coroner after nearly two decades as deputy and then county coroner. And despite encountering death as a routine part of her job, she believes her role has shown just how special Ouray County is.

“I don’t know what it is, but when people die it brings out the best in us as a human and humanity,” Hollenbeck s...