Mildred Downey

Mildred (“Midge”) Downey, formerly of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, passed away peacefully at Mount St. Francis Nursing Center, Colorado Springs, on May 10, 2023. A memorial will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary, 2515 Patterson Road, Grand Junction, CO.

Midge was born on November 15, 1924 to J. Frank and Blanche Smith of Carbondale, Colorado. She had an older sister, Luby, and a younger brother, Robert, both of whom preceded her in death. She married Fred Downey on February 24, 1945. They raised four sons in Glenwood Springs; David, Douglas, Robert and Randy. She has 7 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.

Midge grew up on a potato farm just north of Carbondale, Colorado, along the Roaring Fork River. She attended Carbondale public schools, and following graduation from high school attended the University of Colorado, majoring in business. She met her future husband Fred, from Basalt, Colorado, while in high school. They married during one of Fred’s leaves of absence as a serviceman in the Army Air Force during World War II. Upon Fred’s discharge at the end of the war, they settled in Eagle, Colorado, and a few years later moved to Glenwood Springs.

Midge’s primary focus was on raising her four boys, but she also worked at various jobs, including accounting at the Glenwood First National Bank, at Dever Jewelry, at The Village Agency, and at the Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge. She was active in the PTA, in her church, the United Methodist Church of Glenwood Springs, and the Crossroads Methodist Church in Grand Junction. She and Fred loved to square dance, and play cards – her favorite card game was pinochle. They also enjoyed many camping trips in Colorado, particularly camping along the Frying Pan River and at the McClure Pass Campground.

In 1974, Midge and Fred bought land near New Castle and built a home, where they resided until 1991, when they sold it and moved to Glenwood Springs. They lived in Glenwood Springs until moving to Grand Junction in 1993. Fred passed away in 1997, and Midge remained in their home until 2020, when she moved to Summit Glen, a retirement community in Colorado Springs.

Midge was a devoted wife and mother. She loved to knit, read, play cards, cook and had many friends. She had a quick intellect and good sense of humor. She lived a long, full life and will be greatly missed by her family and those who knew her.

A memorial service will be held at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary, Grand Junction, CO on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 2:00pm.

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