Jeanne Amber Downing

Jeanne's Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00 pm, Friday, April 24, 2026 at Westside Global Methodist Church, 701 N 20th Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904.

Jeanne was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin to Ethel Marion Green Hemenway and Clarence Springer Hemenway on June 13, 1925. Jeanne was Ethel and Clarence's first child, followed shortly in1927 by her beloved brother, Robert Washington Hemenway. Jeanne's first three years of life were spent in La Crosse, Wisconsin next door to her maternal grandmother. In 1928, the family moved to Hot Springs, South Dakota, where her father managed the laundry at the famous Evans Hotel. Living in a hotel was not an ideal place for small children to live, but Jeanne said her mother created a fairyland for her and her brother. They took long walks, swam in the Evans Plunge, and had stories read to them every day. She said she could swim even before she could walk. Her favorite memory of Hot Springs was their Sunday excursions to watch the carving of Lincoln into Mount Rushmore. Work and life brought the family to Sydney, Nebraska in 1934 where Jeanne lived until age 11. She loved the years she spent in Sydney. In 1936, the family moved back to their roots in Colorado Springs where they lived in the home her maternal grandfather built for her parents on North 24th Street. Jeanne attended Whittier Elementary, West Junior, and Colorado Springs High School. She graduated in 1943.

Jeanne married Alfred Alvyn (Bud) Downing on November 29, 1942. These were the war years and Bud and Jeanne eloped. When her father found out, he insisted she graduate and Bud agreed and left for the Los Angeles shipyards for work. Jeanne joined him after graduation and they spent the next 2 years in Los Angeles. They moved back to Colorado Springs in 1944. They made their home on West Platte in the house Bud built in 1951. After Bud's death in 1981, Jeanne spent many years single. In 1995 she began enjoying time with Virgil McCormack. They had many adventures, travels and family time together until his death in 2014.

Many times Jeanne's family would enjoy the stories of her work years. Her first job was at Barthel's Ice Cream Parlor as a Soda Jerk. She worked as a telephone operator in Los Angles and Colorado Springs. She loved the challenge of the "cords" and was very good at it. She worked in the cafeteria at West Junior High School for a time and her last job was at The Colorado College operating the switchboard. She said her greatest "job" was raising her 5 children.

Jeanne's activities were varied and abundant. Being a mother of 5 children, she was always active for numerous years in PTA, Brownies, MYF (church youth group), Cheer Squads, and joining the ranks of Football Mamas. She was a long time member of the Daughters of the Nile Ruhamah Temple No. 71. In the 1960's she was an active member of the Colorado Springs Chorale and loved singing in their varied performances. She sang in the Trinity Methodist Church choir which became the Trinity United Methodist Church choir and then became the Westside Global Methodist Church choir. She sang in the same church choir off and on since her teen years in the 1940's. One of her passions was mountain climbing. She climbed numerous fourteen-thousand-foot peaks in Colorado and was very proud of those times. As an accomplished knitter, she made many sweaters, caps and scarves for her kids and friends. She was a sports fan. Her love of baseball began in childhood and she was an avid Colorado Rockies fan. She loved the Denver Broncos and faithfully played in the weekly family football pool. She won the "Big Pot" in 2024. She played pinochle for 65 years in the club she formed with a friend, which is in existence today with daughters of original members. Her life-long favorite activity/passion was the game of Bridge, She played at least 3 times a week for many years. She love Party Bridge, but found Duplicate Bridge highly challenging and extremely entertaining. She made so many friends while playing bridge. She was an excellent player and a sought-after partner. She will be missed.

Jeanne is survived by her children, Karol Szymanski, Karon Burch, Kathy Mares, Jim Downing and daughter-in-law Cindy Downing, and her daughter-in-law Sheila Aldrich. Her grandchildren, Scott and Darren DeHerrea, Ann and Colin Fleming, Brian and Deb Szymanski, Greg and Tammy Burch, Andra and Dave Jaccard, Marco Mares, Joshua Downing, Heather and Jason Bracken, Jacob and Becky Downing, Samantha Downing. and numerous great and great, great grandchildren.

Jeanne is preceded in death by her husband, Bud Downing, her brother, Robert Hemenway, her son, Robert Downing, and her sons-in-law, Jerry Szymanski, Bill Burch and Jack Georgeson.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be mailed to Westside Global Methodist Church, 701 N. 20th Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 80904 in memory of Jeanne Downing.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Westside Global Methodist Church, 701 N 20th St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, on April 24, 2026, at 1:00 pm.