Denver Broncos stadium (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

The Denver Broncos are in mourning this week after the tragic news that one of their own had passed on.

After a fight with an aggressive form of cancer, Veronica Ibarra, who worked for the Broncos for 27 seasons and was the executive assistant to the late owner Pat Bowlen’s family, tragically passed away on Saturday.

She was 55 years old.

Ibarra was regarded as the cornerstone of the Bowlen family in many ways because of her exceptional organizing abilities, fierce, independent personality, and intense passion for the Broncos. Ibarra was well-known among the Broncos for her humor, tenacity, and directness.

“She was a one of a kind,” her former co-worker, Lisa Williams, said of her passing, via 9News. “You didn’t pull the wool over her. Her primary focus was to make sure Pat’s family was taken care of. Bills are paid. Help them with car insurance, or getting their car. Or getting the lease right for their apartments. She did everything like a parent would do. Get it done.”

1996 saw Ibarra sign with the Broncos. She ultimately chose to retire in 2022. Ibarra also worked as a personal assistant to Pat Bowlen, the owner of the Broncos. The organization threw a joint retirement celebration for Ibarra, longtime team CEO Joe Ellis, and longtime general counsel Rich Slivka in August 2022.

Even after receiving a diagnosis, she kept working for the Denver Broncos because she was so committed to her job.
“Here’s one thing about Veronica – she’s in the hospital and she’s still working on her computer, doing work,” Williams said. “‘ Veronica, does the family know?’ No. They don’t need to know, yet.’ ‘Veronica, you should not be working!’ ‘I’ve got to get it done.’ That was her mentality.”

Denver Broncos Hoping To Bring Halt To Losing Streak That Started In 2017

Sean Payton (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The last time the Broncos made the playoffs, they won Super Bowl 50 and sent Peyton Manning riding off into the sunset.

The 2017 season saw the team win nine games, and that would be the last season the team finished above .500. Since that Super Bowl victory, Denver has finished either 3rd or fourth in the AFC West standings, Profootballreference.

The team has also been through five different head coaches and is getting set to have their seventh different starting quarterback as the team looks to find anybody that can stop the carousel at the position since Peyton Manning retired.