Bill Sinclair of Las Animas Honored with ‘Cornerstone Award’

LAS ANIMAS, Colo. – Longtime hunter education instructor Bill Sinclair has become the first recipient of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Hunter Education “Cornerstone Award” for his commitment to teaching others about hunting since the 1960s. Sinclair was presented the award on May 5 at his Las Animas area home by Steve Keefer, District Wildlife Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.  

On May 13, Sinclair passed away after a brief battle with cancer. 

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Bill’s family at this time,” said Keefer. “We are glad we could honor his service while he was still with us and we wanted this to be part of his legacy. Bill not only taught hunter education classes in the community, he taught hunter education for years to sixth graders at Las Animas Middle School. I believe he personally taught hunter education to the vast majority of two generations of this community.” 

Sinclair was a certified Master Hunter Education Instructor and taught hunter education to more than 1,300 students in the rural eastern Colorado community of Las Animas. 

“Hunter education makes hunters safe but hunter education instructors like Bill make hunter education special,” said Mark Cousins, Hunter Education Coordinator for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “We’re honored that the first Cornerstone Award went to Bill Sinclair. We look forward to having this special award to honor the other instructors out there who have given so much of their precious time to passing on a hunting tradition to other generations.”  

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.