Every once in a great while, an individual comes along who makes everyone's life a little bit better.

For those few, it is extremely difficult to find enough words, certainly the right ones, to explain what they have meant, and the legacy they have left.
Arlowe Hulett was one of those individuals.

During my years at Wyoming, I have known so many great friends of the university and the athletics department. Individuals with an incredible passion and commitment to improving everything around them.

Arlowe is at the top of my list.

As I sat in the packed church for Arlowe's funeral liturgy last Friday, I thought about the impact he had on so many of us in Wyoming, and beyond.  He was put on this earth to do good things and to make us feel better.  He was highly successful at both.   Without question he was one of the most special individuals I've ever known.

Everybody I talked to says the same thing.

"Arlowe was one of the most genuine people I have ever met," Athletics Director Tom Burman told me. "He had a passion for Wyoming, and he loved the student-athletes who represented Wyoming."
That genuineness, sincerity and authenticity were the cure for a lot of things, not only while he was working in his profession, but in his daily life.  If you were having a bad day, Arlowe could fix it in five minutes with an attitude so positive, so uplifting, that you just had to smile.  He was the remedy for what ailed you.

Arlowe cared. He was always there to help, with that marvelous, positive way he had.  When he helped you, he was "all in", no matter the task. That was his special gift to us.

I suspect he had a bad day on occasion, but I can't imagine he had many.  I know I never saw him have one!

I first got to know him in the late 1970's.  Back then it was clear to me that he was more than a fan, and he was a terrific one.  But he was a doer.  Among so many other things, the Cowboy Joe Club was a passion of his. He could see early-on, along with a few other Club pioneers, what a benefit, and long-range resource it could become for Wyoming athletics. He made a commitment to Cowboy Joe which would only grow through the years and intensify once he retired.

The Club was just one of his many passionate interests, however.

His family was everything.  He and his beloved Mary (who were married on a Wyoming ranch) raised seven children, all wonderful people like their dad and mom.  Then Arlowe and Mary proudly watched the growth of 16 grandchildren and 11 great-grand-children, each-and-every-one the apple of their eyes.

His family's happiness and well-being came first.  Then came his profession.  A native of North Dakota, he began his career as a county agricultural extension agent in his home state, following his marriage.  But it wasn't long before he was back in Wyoming as Lincoln County's extension agent.  He started there in 1957, and never left Wyoming.

I don't know that there were too many Wyoming people, especially in the ranching community, who didn't know Arlowe. He made sure he understood their challenges, and worked hard to find solutions. They loved him as much as we did in the athletics community.

He was recognized often for his work in weed and pest control, yet another one of his passions. Awards like "Guardian of the Grasslands" from the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association; the Harold P. Alley Award recognizing his outstanding contributions to the advancement of weed and pest control programs in Wyoming, and the "Friend of Agriculture Award" from the Albany County Cow Belles meant a tremendous amount to him.

Arlowe was always there for whomever needed his help.  His obituary mentioned that he never met a stranger, and that was so true.  He had that special ability to make one feel comfortable, and at ease, even when meeting him for the first time.

After his retirement, he took an even bigger role in the Cowboy Joe Club, and other community projects.  He took great pride in the success of Wyoming student-athletes.  There were few athletics events that he didn't attend.  Until the NCAA outlawed them, Arlowe would be in the stands with his cowbell clanging away.

He was instrumental in helping the Club create the "Steer-a-Year" program in the mid-1990's providing the farm and ranch community a way to participate by donating their livestock to the Club.  That initiative has grown into a major part of the Club.     

"I've been fortunate to meet some incredible people in this profession," says Senior Associate Athletics Director and Club director Randy Welniak. "Arlowe is one of my all-time favorite people I've been around in my nearly 25 years in athletics.  One word keeps coming up when I think about him, passionate.

"Arlowe was passionate about his family, his friends, UW Athletics, and the Cowboy Joe Club Steer-A-Year program which he helped start," Welniak continues. "With his commitment and dedication, the SAY program has generated over $4 million for in-state Wyoming student-athletes,  the Animal Science Judging Teams and the UW Rodeo team.  What a legacy he has left!"

 Part of that legacy that he was most proud, and maybe dearest to him was the Cowboy Joe Club's White Hat Award.  It isn't awarded every year, and it has only gone to a special few. A handful of individuals have earned it through the years. It may be the athletic department's most prestigious award.

"He was a natural for Cowboy Joe and the Steer-a-Year program," says his long-time friend Dave Walsh.  "When I was with the Club, we would travel around the state together.  No matter where we went, people would know him.  He was a very popular guy in Wyoming, and a huge asset to the Cowboy Joe Club.  He was always such a great guy."

He WAS a great guy.  All of us who knew him were much richer for the experience.  Arlowe taught me a lot about treating people right, about doing the job right, and about doing it with passion.

Wyoming, and certainly our Cowboy and Cowgirl athletic programs, won't be the same without him. None of us will.

They don't make them like Arlowe Hulett anymore.