Joanne Estelle Elghammer

Joanne Estelle Scupham Elghammer, 92 originally of Homewood, Illinois and long time resident of Evergreen and Elizabeth, Colorado, passed away peacefully on December 6, 2025. A fiercely independent woman following the passing of her first husband and father of her children, Vaughn Irving Rickert, followed in later years, her second husband, Dr. Richard Elghammer, placed her passion and love for animals, from a pet monkey as a child to her love of riding horses, dog agility and giving a home to cats, strays and rescues along the way. Perhaps there is no better way to express her connection with animals than these quotes. “A dog can’t read a person’s mind, but they can read their soul...”Unknown; ” The horse is a mirror to your soul…” Buck Brannaman; “A horse doesn’t care how much you know until he knows how much you care. You can’t fake your way into a horse’s heart.” Pat Parelli. They only scratch the surface of a woman who dedicated her life to giving her heart to her family, her children, her grandchildren and her pets, their babies, strays and rescues alike.

As the youngest of four children, her father, Dr. George William Scupham and Estelle Kent, gave her the love of spending summers at Lake Michigan with her family and later, giving her children the same magic of summers on Lake Michigan with her brothers, Dr. William Kent Scumpham, George Robert Scupham, and her sister, Jean Scupham Ratko and their families. From the house on Hilltop, to the bell tower and the ringing of the bell by her mother, Estelle to bring everyone in for dinner, family and building memories were at the forefront of all Joanne held close, especially after she and her husband, Vaughn, returned from being stationed in Germany. They met at William Woods University, an Equestrian college in Missouri. As a business owner in retail, it allowed the family to spend those amazing times in Michigan. After Vaughn’s untimely death, Joanne worked as a church secretary for four years, when she met pediatrician, Dr. Richard Elghammer, who had three sons of his own. Together, they moved west to Colorado after moving from a practice in Georgetown, a prominent figure in Evergreen, convinced Dick to open an office there and showed Joanne and Dick a property they both fell in love with the dam, the creek, the mountains in the distance and the house they built together, and the barn that would give a home to so many horses, including a feisty horse they rescued from a rundown barn across the street. Joanne and Dick embraced all that their new life in Colorado offered: skiing, trips across the west, visits from friends and family, and vacations abroad, including Aruba. In a losing battle to cancer, and after the death of his son, Doug, Dick told Joanne to immerse herself into her horses and everything she wanted.

Joanne shared something unique with each one of her children; With her oldest son, Dr. Vaughn I. Rickert Dr (1953-2015), who was a renowned scholar and professor of adolescent medicine, it was the love of intellect and family tradition, including years of Christmas in Evergreen he shared with his wife, Cynthia, and their three sons, Jefferey, Ryan and Mason. Jefferey, followed in the footsteps of the Scupham family, becoming a D.O., which she showed immense adoration for his pursuit and work ethic. Ryan, followed the footsteps in serving in the Air Force, after attending the Air Force Academy and spending his days of leave in Elizabeth, days that his Nana absolutely cherished. And Mason, an aspiring chef; and Joanne loved cooking and making elaborate meals and held family time for every occasion close to her heart. With her only daughter, Leslie, it was the love of cats, giving a home to rescues, also the love of cooking. Later, it would be the love of figure skating, as Joanne was the reason all four of her granddaughters (and Leslie later), Lindsay, Alissa, Jaime and Brittan, would all go on to make synchronized skating a pursuit for all of them in college, representing Western Michigan University and Miami of Ohio University. With her son, Tim, it was the love of dogs, exploring the outdoors, the summers in Michigan, and the love of tennis, later on, Novak Djokovic. Joanne and Tim took care of each other in times of illness and embodied heart and family first. With her son, Dan (1961-2021), who also became an attorney, it was always about horses; showing in western and dressage, and raising horses. In her return from North Carolina in the early 2000s, she relocated to Elizabeth, Colorado, to be closer to Dan and his partner, Mike, to ride and share their love of horses together. Joanne lived life loving her family, her friends and animals, all reflected in the causes she believed in, making charitable donations throughout her life and memories she held close to her heart.

Joanne is survived by her daughter, Leslie; her son, Tim; her stepsons, David and Garrett; her son-in-law Dirk; her daughter-in-law, Cynthia; her granddaughters, Lindsay, Alissa, Jaime and Brittan; her grandsons, Jefferey, Ryan and Mason; her great-grandsons, Leo, Miles, Graham, and Grayson; and her great-granddaughters, Avery and Quinn.

A joint celebration of Life for Joanne and Dan, to be held Saturday, January 31, 2026 at 10am at Olinger Andrews Caldwell, Gibson Chapel,407 Jerry St, Castle Rock, Colorado.

In Lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Robin’s Nest Foundation, LLC https://www.robinsnestcharity.org