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Vail Daily obituary: Jeanne H. Tilkemeier, 1929-2014

Jeanne Tilkemeier, 85, passed away suddenly at her home in Eagle Ranch on Monday.

Jeanne was known for her sunny personality, her gentle demeanor and her ever-present smile. She was an avid tennis player and skier, an accomplished horsewoman and a committed community volunteer.

Jeanne was a native Coloradoan, born and raised in La Junta. Her grandfather homesteaded a cattle ranch in Montrose in the late 1890s. In 1947, she moved to Boulder to attend the University of Colorado as a Boettcher Scholar nominee, where she met her husband of 62 years, Roger. At CU, Jeanne studied education, speech and theater was a member of the Tri Delta sorority.

Vail pioneers, Jeanne and Roger and their three children were drawn to Vail in 1964 for the skiing and mountain lifestyle. While here, Jeanne was also involved in many community activities including Children’s Theater and volunteering as a teacher’s assistant at Red Sandstone Elementary.

From 2001 until 2012, the Tilkemeiers lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they enjoyed a country lifestyle with their horses and where Jeanne made many new friends through her love of skiing and playing tennis. In 2012, Jeanne and Roger came home to the Vail Valley with their beloved dog, Andy, and settled in Eagle Ranch.

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An informal gathering to honor Jeanne’s memory will be held at the Vail Memorial Park on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in her name to the Swift Eagle Charitable Foundation at P.O. Box 1977, Avon, CO 81620.


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