Donald Joseph (Joe) Resenbeck, 71, Colorado Springs

Donald Joseph (Joe) Resenbeck of Colorado Springs, Colorado, passed away on March 12, 2025, at the age of 71 after a courageous battle with cancer.

He was born May 16, 1953, in Jasper, Indiana and attended Jasper schools, graduating from JHS in 1971. He attended Vincennes University before joining the Army where he was stationed at Ft. Riley, Kansas as an operating room technician. He was honorably discharged in 1976 with the National Defense Service Medal, Marksman, and Good Conduct Medal.

Joe went by many different names depending on where you met him: Joe, Don, Joseph, Donald, JR and most famously, “Joe Toyota,” to name a few. Joe was a born salesman. He sold vacuum cleaners, encyclopedias, and waterbeds. He even sold a bucket of manure to a farmer. He started his career in the auto industry in 1980 at Allingham VW/Toyota and that is where he picked up the name “Joe Toyota” as most people in Manhattan, Kansas, came to know him. Joe worked many years for Dick Edwards Ford and Briggs Auto as a salesman and finance manager. Fun fact, Joe did not like shoes, it wasn’t uncommon to find him on the car lot selling cars barefoot.

Joe married Sue Stratmann in 1982, and of that union, two children were born. They later divorced. Joe felt the calling of the mountains and settled in Colorado Springs in 2012, where he worked once more in the auto industry before retiring in 2016.

During his last years, he renewed his faith and returned to the Catholic Church. He made many close friends wherever he went who will remember his fun nature and mourn his passing. A special thank you to the residents of Pikes Peak Towers where he lived for the last six years, he had tons of friends and loved all of you dearly.

Joe was preceded in death by his mother and stepfather, Betty (Jones) and Gene Gerber, and his father, Donald Resenbeck. He is survived by his son, Derek Resenbeck (Stephanie) of Manhattan, Kansas, and daughter, Christina Bays (Andrew) of Topeka, Kansas; three grandchildren, Ella Resenbeck, Kit Resenbeck, and Tatum Bays. Also surviving is stepmother, Mona Resenbeck, siblings, Donna Neukam, Diana Burch, Doug Resenbeck and halfsiblings, Paula Gogel, Tom Resenbeck, Martina Pfaff, April Simmers and many nieces and nephews.

Per his request, cremation has taken place, and no services or celebrations of life are planned. Frankly, Joe hated funerals and was adamant that no services be held on his behalf. However, he did say that if his friends wanted to do something, they should just go to their favorite watering hole (hopefully Rock-A-Belley), order their favorite drink and tell some stories. But he wanted to remind you that he wouldn’t be around to pay the tab!

Messages and well wishes for the family can be left with Memorial Gardens Funeral, Cremation & Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado.