Katherine Theos

Katie was the middle daughter born to sheep rancher Konstantine (Gus) Theos and Sophia Theos (nee Gavalas) in Grand Junction, Colorado. She passed away on November 8, 2022 surrounded by family after a sudden illness. Katie is preceded in death by her parents, sisters Marilyn (Mickey) Sullivan Theos and Eleni Helen Theos Stelter, and nephew Harry. She is survived by her sister Kandi Wallace and her family: husband Chad, Will, and Bonnie of Grand Junction, Rachael and Paul O’Neil of Oklahoma City; Eleni’s husband Rick of Paonia and their children: Demitri of Parachute and Deno and his partner Tahlia of Santa Cruz, California.

Katie’s life was richly varied. She was a champion equestrian and a child alum of the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp in Steamboat Springs. After her parents divorced in 1960, she attended high school in Boston, Massachusetts and spent the summers on her father’s sheep ranch outside of Paonia when she wasn’t with her cousins on Cape Cod or New York. She was endlessly fascinated with language, earning her BA from the University of Denver in Arts and Humanities in 1967 and later an MA in Linguistics. She traveled Europe on $5 a day with her kid sister, Kandi. She and her sisters started what became a string of restaurants beginning with Kosta’s in Vail and later Marika’s in Aspen where Eleni was the self-appointed star and singer, Mickey was the frontwoman, and Katie ran the kitchen and staff while keeping the musicians in line. When she got out of the restaurant business, Katie put her experience to work as a restaurant equipment broker specializing in pizza ovens, and when her mother took ill in 2002, Katie moved to Denver and then Paonia where she became Sophia’s caretaker until her death in 2007. She has since been caretaker to her sister Mickey until her passing in 2018, and to her sister, Eleni through 2021.

Through it all, Katie’s sense of humor and empathy shone through. She entertained all who stopped by her home with stories of her time in prison (Orange is the New Black? “Oh yeah, pretty accurate,” she would say), our rich family history, and her proudly liberal politics. While she was horrified at the Dobbs decision (and honestly, by most Republicans, even her beloved uncles and cousins), she would reassure us frequently not to forget that “there have always been brilliant men and women -- some of whose names we weren’t aware of at the time (or sometimes ever) -- who solved many of the world’s significant problems.”

Katie was a generous, compassionate, and empathetic soul with the gift of story-telling. Her wisdom was drawn from her powerful intuition and empathy, along with her ever-present Tarot cards. She had a bold voice and a droll, sarcastic, and sharp sense of humor. She loved cats, and adopted wayward strays - both people and the four-legged variety. She loved music; she and Eleni played guitar, sang, performed pantomime routines that kept the family in stitches, and loved to dance Greek. She was a storyteller, listener, and counselor; a willing shoulder to lean on, with wise and caring suggestions that had a profound effect on the young women she helped while in prison. She was the keeper of the family stories, from the trials of our parents, immigrant grandparents and their ancestors, to the everyday struggles and triumphs of her numerous uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, and nieces. No matter where her family was in the world, be it Boulder or Kherson, Boston or Athens, Berlin or New York, Katie always answered our calls. While she was rarely, if ever, on time for any event, you could count on her to spread the word for any event or life update (we would say there’s telegram, telephone, and tele-Katie). She was our unsung hero. How we wish she were still here.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to please make donations to Planned Parenthood in her name.

A visitation for Katherine will be held Friday, November 18, 2022 at 10:00 AM at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 3585 N 12th St., Grand Junction, CO 81506. A funeral service will occur Friday, November 18, 2022 at 11:00 AM, 3585 N 12th St., Grand Junction, CO 81506. A burial will occur Friday, November 18, 2022 at 12:30 PM at Grand Junction Memorial Gardens, 2970 North Ave., Grand Junction, CO 81504.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.callahan-edfast.com for the Theos family.