Eleanore Jane Darveau

Eleanore J. Darveau, 89, of Lakewood, CO, died July 28, 2013, of liver cancer. She was born on February 14, 1924, in Sterling, CO, the 11th of 13 children born to Jacob and Mary (Miller) Keller.She grew up on farms in the Sterling and Iliff area and graduated from Sterling High School. On July 6, 1945, she married Hugh Vernon Darveau in Denver, CO. They celebrated 68 years of marriage this month.

She was a beloved wife, mother and grandmother. She worked at Lowry AFB and Gates Rubber Co. before and after her early marriage. As a stay at home mom when her children were young, she did volunteer work for the schools and church. In later years, she worked for American Express. After her retirement from that company, she was a teacher's aide at a preschool and a crossing guard for the Lakewood Police Department. She took great joy in being a grandmother and loved children. She was an excellent cook and baker, and enjoyed embroidery and crocheting, making many dish towels and baby blankets, the last blanket being completed a few weeks before her death. She loved to read and kept a notebook of quotes or passages that had meaning to her. Up until the end, she was a whiz at doing the crossword and jumble puzzles in the newspaper every day. She was an avid walker, walking at least two miles every day, and was recognized throughout her neighborhood as the "lady who walked." She took pride in the fact that she walked (and finished!) the Bolder Boulder 10K race when she was 85 as well as walking in a Race for the Cure. She was able to continue walking until her last few months. She was a hard worker and never complained. Being born on Valentine's Day, she truly had a huge and giving heart and will be missed by many.

She was preceded in death by her parents; six brothers: Jake, Henry, Robert, John, Harold and Albert; six sisters: Mary, Katherine, Mollie, Pauline, Esther, and Viola. She is survived by her husband, Hugh; three children: LaNae (Nick) Hardy, Vickie Darveau, and Geoffrey Darveau; six grandchildren: Emily Hardy, Andrea Landin, Tamara (Ryan) Delgado, Alison (Ben) Skubish, Kevin (Rebecca) Landin, and Veronica Landin; and two great grandchildren: Lyla Skubish and Andres Delgado; three sisters-in-law, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Graveside service 10:00 a.m. Friday, August 9, at Ft. Logan National Cemetery, Staging Area "A", 3698 S. Sheridan Blvd., Denver, CO. Memorial Service 11:00 a.m. Friday, Lutheran Church of the Master, 14099 W. Jewell Ave, Lakewood, CO 80228

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Exempla Lutheran Hospice, c/o Exempla Lutheran Medical Center Foundation, 8300 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033.

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