Brent Doeden, affectionately known as Captain Earthman, the beloved Coors Field beer vendor since the Rockies’ inaugural season in 1993, has died. He was 61.
His wife of 29 years, Becky Scharfenberg, said that he passed away at 11:30 Monday morning surrounded by four of his daughters and four grandkids at his Arvada home.
Earthman was diagnosed with two Grade IV tumors last August, and doctors gave him 6 to 18 months to live.
Denver Post file
"Captain Earthman" aka Brent Doeden longtime beer vendor at Coors Field outside the stadium on Wednesday, April 18, 2012.
Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post
The Colorado Rockies played first spring training game at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Arizona on Wednesday, February 25, 2009. Earthman died on July 10, 2017, from brain tumors.
Andy Cross, The Denver Post
Coors Field beer vendor known as, Earthman, Friday afternoon before a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in an undated photo. Earthman passes out business cards to his customers who then call him on a cell phone to order a beer or two. On his hat is a frog with a beer can on his tongue and has a lizard on his shoulder.
Dustin Bradford, Getty Images
A popular beer vendor known by Denver sports fans as Earthman sells cold beer during a game between the Denver Broncos and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 2, 2012 in Denver.
RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post
Cindy Torreslorett takes a photo of Brent Doeden, also known as Captain Earthman, and his wife Becky Scharfenberg arrive to Coors Field for the Colorado Rockies' home opener Coors Field, on April 7, 2017 in Denver. Doedan, a longtime popular beer vendor at Coors Field, has terminal brain cancer and this maybe his last Opening Day.
RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post
Brent Doeden, also known as Captain Earthman, and his wife Becky Scharfenberg leave Coors Field during the Colorado Rockies' home opener Coors Field, on April 7, 2017 in Denver. Doedan, a longtime popular beer vendor at Coors Field, has terminal brain cancer and this maybe his last Opening Day.
RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post
Brent Doeden, also known as Captain Earthman, and his wife Becky Scharfenberg arrive to Coors Field for the Colorado Rockies' home opener Coors Field, on April 7, 2017 in Denver. Doedan, a longtime popular beer vendor at Coors Field, has terminal brain cancer and this maybe his last Opening Day.
RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post
Brent Doeden, also known as Captain Earthman, gets a hug from Diana Barrett as he and his wife Becky Scharfenberg, left, arrive to Coors Field for the Colorado Rockies' home opener Coors Field, on April 7, 2017 in Denver. Doedan, a longtime popular beer vendor at Coors Field, has terminal brain cancer and this maybe his last Opening Day. Barrett said, she has been ordering beers from him since 2000.
RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post
Brent Doeden, also known as Captain Earthman, center, is welcomed by old friends as he arrives to Coors Field for the Colorado Rockies' home opener Coors Field, on April 7, 2017 in Denver. Doedan, a longtime popular beer vendor at Coors Field, has terminal brain cancer.
RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post
Brent Doeden, also known as Captain Earthman, and his wife Becky Scharfenberg arrive to Coors Field for the Colorado Rockies' home opener Coors Field, on April 7, 2017 in Denver. Doedan, a longtime popular beer vendor at Coors Field, has terminal brain cancer and this maybe his last Opening Day.
RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post
Brent Doeden, also known as Captain Earthman, and his wife Becky Scharfenberg arrive to Coors Field for the Colorado Rockies' home opener Coors Field, on April 7, 2017 in Denver. Doedan, a longtime popular beer vendor at Coors Field, has terminal brain cancer and this maybe his last Opening Day.
Earthman was known as a pioneer in the vendor profession — famous at Coors Field for his hand-crafted hats, peanut earrings and a booming voice that reverberated across the ballpark’s seats. He acquired a cellphone so customers could call him for beers in the early 2000’s and distributed business cards in the stands with his number.
“He touched so many lives in such a unique way,” Scharfenberg said. “Everybody that met him has some kind of quirky story about him and you just don’t find that in people. To him, every single person that he met was the most important person to him at that moment. He made them feel that way.”
He began his career at the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field in 1985 during the Buffs’ football games. He began working Rockies games at Mile High Stadium in 1993 before the team moved to Coors Fields in 1995.
His terminal diagnosis came on Aug. 31st last year, and he had to stop his job immediately. The two tumors in his brain damaged his short-term memory and his ability to carry on conversations. In recent months, Scharfenberg said, he was unable to communicate.
He attended his last Rockies game with his family on Father’s Day.
“We’ve always been so incredibly humbled by the number of people that have given us well wishes,” Scharfenberg said. “It’s been amazing from that point how much love (my family) yet again, that I’m feeling yet again.”
The family will put on a celebration of life event sometime in the next couple weeks.
“We do want everyone out there to come share their stories about him,” Sharfenberg said.
He is survived by six daughters and nine grandchildren.
Updated July 10, 2017 at 18:23 p.m.Because of a reporting error, Doeden’s age was originally misreported. He was 61 years old.
