MaryLou Faiella

Mary Lou Faiella lived by these words throughout her long life. To her two daughters, she was Mom. To her two grandsons, and two great-grandsons, she was Grandma. To family, she was Aunt Lou’t.

And to many others who knew her, worked with her, and/or served on numerous committees, she was Mary Lou.

She passed peacefully in Loveland, CO on September 22, 2024, at 96 years old, surrounded by the love of her family.

Mary Lou was the third child of Paul and Lela (Jones) Stockton, born at their home on November 18, 1927, in Kensington, Kansas. Kensington is in Smith County, close to the town of Smith Center. Throughout her life, she enjoyed telling a story that her birthplace was near the cabin named in the song “Home on the Range”.

She was a preemie child and would tell the story of how her first bed was a shoe-box that was kept in a dresser drawer by the wood stove to keep her warm. Throughout her entire live, Mary Lou enjoyed telling so many stories of her long life about growing up on a Kansas farm; about being chased around the yard by a barn owl, chickens, or ducks. How her father, Paul, lost a leg when a horse bolted and he was dragged with one leg still in the stirrup. About her cousin who served in WW1 that she never met, yet had saved postcards from him.

Later, she reconnected with her cousin’s family of Dr. Clyde Tombaugh. Clyde was born in 1903 in Illinois. He was extremely interested in our Solar System, first looked towards the heaven’s using his uncle’s telescope, and then built his 1st telescope in 1923 from scavenged old car parts. By 1928, he built a very accurate 23-centimeter reflector. This telescope’s accuracy was responsible for a job offer from the Lowell Observatory in New Mexico. He joined the search for Percival Lowell's "Planet X", a ninth planet beyond Neptune. By photographing 65% of the sky and spending thousands of hours examining photographs of the night sky, he discovered an object he named Pluto. Alas, in August 2006, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. Mary Lou’s daughter, Dr. Linda Brown, began her career as an educational astronomer, teaching at Kealing Junior High Magnet School in Austin Texas.

Tight family bonds and love of her older siblings – Opal and Ben – continued her entire live until they passed. Oh how much she missed them. There were many events in addition to family that influenced Mary Lou over her lifetime; such as how the Dust Bowl took away the family farm and how the 5 Stockton’s came to Loveland in a car with another family, the windows rolled down and no air conditioner! It was the summer of 1938 when the Stockton family moved to Loveland; where they lived in a tent on the lawn of another cousin’s home because there was no room inside. This was when the family was introduced to modern conveniences of running water in the kitchen, an inside toilet and a bathtub to fill with hot water.

She attended school in the Loveland School District and graduated from Loveland High School in 1945. She was the band’s baton leader and remained a very proud graduate. During the summer’s as a teenager, Mary Lou worked at Vokel’s Lodge (now Glacier Lodge) in a variety of positions ranging from housekeeping to horseback trail rides, with hotel guests, throughout Rocky Mountain Park.

Mom’s stories were enchanting, historical, amusing, and to her, so important for her daughters to know, learn, remember, and pass down to their families.

Mary Lou lived in Greeley, Colo. for 25 years with her first love of her life; LeRoy D. Green. Together, they adopted two baby girls; Linda Lou in November 1955 and Sherry Lee in March 1958. Mary Lou and LeRoy loved their daughters. Since Mary Lou was familiar with the Estes Valley region, she and LeRoy purchased land in Glen Haven that started on the bank of the North Fork River and continued up the slope to lots on Hummingbird Hill.

An old summer cabin was near to the North Fork River that was used by the family and felt like home. Memories of the old summer cabin were spent with family and friends. Mary Lou loved having family and friends spend time there. Laughing, eating, playing horseshoes, board games galore, and just being together. She enjoyed the hummingbirds, chipmunks, squirrels, marmots in the rocks behind the cabin, and many other wildlife. The old summer cabin was primitive with an external, up-the-hill outhouse. Inside was a huge Glen Comfort Wood-stove that had 4 inserts to stoke with wood, an oven and a warming compartment on top. The screened-in porch contained a ¾-size bed on one side and a huge dining table where we, and other family and friends, would eat together, play cards or board games, or just sit and talk. There was no TV, no phones or any of the modern comforts; yet, those weren’t missed since Glen Haven was our family retreat. Mary Lou loved to photograph the wildlife. We would tease her that she should have purchased stock in Eastman Kodak for as many photographs that were printed. Mary Lou became a fairly proficient amateur with her photography. She entered summer, amateur competitions in Estes Park and won awards.

Unfortunately, LeRoy was killed by a lightning strike when he was repairing blown-out transformers. Mary Lou became a widow in June 1961 and this loss was devastating for her, her young children, plus family and friends.

Until she met her second love of her life; Frank Faiella. Her sister, Opal and Hugh, would take Mary Lou to various restaurants or other places. One such times, they went to the Canyon Inn, a restaurant/bar near the Big Thompson River. Frank was stationed at Lowry Air Force base and deer hunting with Glenn Floyd (who owned a small motel nearby). Frank and Mary Lou met, talked, and it was love-at-first-sight. When Frank was transferred to Vandenberg Air Force base near Lompoc, California they wrote to each other daily. December 21, 1963; they were married at Our Lady of the Lake, Catholic church, in Estes Park. His new family moved to Lompoc.

Frank left the Air Force later and the family moved back to Loveland, then to Greeley. He pursued a degree at the University of Northern Colorado while Mary Lou worked as a secretary at John Evans Junior High School. When Frank graduated, he taught in the Estes Park School District for 20 years.

They wanted to live in Glen Haven, so Frank designed their home as part of his M.A, college studies. All of the family helped build their home on Hummingbird Hill in Glen Haven where they moved in October 1976.

Mary Lou worked as a secretary in the Middle School in the Estes Park School District; retiring 1987. After her retirement, she and Frank started the Glen Haven Chapel during the summer. Services were held in the Glen Haven Town Hall from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day for nearly 14 years. She contacted vacationing clergy to preach every Sunday and tape-record every service. These recordings, and other historical information, are now part of the Glen Haven Historical Group.

Mary Lou was involved as an Auxiliary member raising money for the Glen Haven Volunteer Firefighters (GHVF) while Frank was an active member. Additionally, they were members at Estes Park American Legion Post 119 over 25+ years. Mary Lou assisted in creating and developing the American Legion Auxiliary as a member for over 50 years. ALA remains an active group today. They enjoyed services at the YMCA Church of the Rockies after Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church. Additionally, they volunteered for the Estes Park Chamber Ambassadors. Mary Lou served as President of the Estes Park Senior Center services during the intense building a new facility. Furthermore, they volunteered for the American Red Cross during the first flood (July, 1976) and Mary Lou continued developing the Retired Senior’s Volunteer Program (RSVP). She was an active member of the Estes Park Women’s Club over 50 years. One group she enjoyed was the Estes Park Red Hat Society; a club whose members enjoyed each other and it was not involved in other activities (re: raising money or volunteering).

Mary Lou loved living in “the Glen” nearly 60 years. She would tell everyone that “fresh mountain air could cure anything!” Daughter Sherry dreamed that she could see Frank, standing next to her bed with his hand reaching towards her saying “Let’s go Lou’t”. Then, hearing her response to him “YOU are not wearing that?!” a frequent interaction between them.

Mary Lou is preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Lela (Jones) Stockton, her sister and brother-in-law Opal (Stockton) and Hugh Moss; her brother Ben; her first husband LeRoy D. Green; her second husband Frank Faiella; and many dear family and friends.

She is survived by her daughters, Dr. Linda Lou (Green) Brown (Estes Park), and Sherry Lee (Green) Fredrickson (Estes Park). Two grandsons; Zachary K. Brown (Julie Nelson-Brown, (Ostego, MN) and Tyson Green (Estes Park). Three great-grandsons; Greyson, Coulton, and Hudson and their parents Kim and Chris Bidwell (Loveland).

Church services will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2024 at the YMCA of the Rockies Ponder Chapel at 11:00 am to 11:45 am; followed by a reception at the Glen Haven Town Hall from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

The family requests in lieu of flowers to donate to Glen Haven Historical Society at P. O. Box 68, Glen Haven, CO 80522, or the YMCA of the Rockies Hyde Chapel (contact Rev. Greg Bunton, 970/ 586-3341, ext. 1077). To leave a message for the family please visit www.allnuttestespark.com