Jean Marie Condit

Jean Marie Condit, age 93, passed away on Saturday, 8/22/15, having lived in her home until just a day earlier. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, son, David, and sister, Elizabeth. Jean was born 8/31/21 in Hyde Park, Illinois, the older of two children of Arthur and Hazel Hagener. Her father was in the construction materials business. The family moved Canton, Ohio, early on where she grew up. She went to college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and earned a degree in elementary education in 1943. She also met Bill Condit, whom she would later marry. He was the prolific jokester and entertainer extraordinaire who swept her off her feet with his music and songs. He graduated a year earlier with a degree in fine arts, and entered the Army Air Forces, designing pilot manuals. She taught school for a year after she graduated. They married around Christmas time, December 27, circa 1943 when he was on leave. Bill contracted TB while in the service and was sent to Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center in Denver to recover. He was in the hospital for 9 months. Being pregnant with their first child, Carol, Jean joined him in Denver, where they ultimately decided to live. Bill started his Advertising Art Studio, which eventually evolved into Condit Exhibits.

Jean and Bill had three more children, David, Randy and Nancy. One of the family highlights was the building of the boat, a cabin cruiser, in the garage, which became a family project and neighborhood curiosity. Jean named the boat, the CADARANA, representing the first two letters of her children's names. The family enjoyed countless weekends, on the boat on Lake Granby, Colorado, every summer for many years. All the children grew up and went to college, each discovering their own unique lives. Nancy, the youngest, became the artist,and co-owned with Jean and Bill the Sand Dollar Art Gallery on South Pearl Street, the name having been inspired by many sojourns to Florida. It was a second career for watercolorist, Bill, now retired; and the beginning of Nancy's career as an artist--potter and watercolor painter. After Bill died in 2001, Jean partnered with Nancy to run the art gallery, where she worked for the next 14 years meeting and greeting people, hosting open houses and watercolor workshops. This was up until about a few days before she passed away.

Jean also enjoyed traveling with Bill, after he retired, to various parts of the country where Bill participated with other artists in watercolor workshops. She was an avid reader, and also enjoyed riding her bicyle (without a helmet so she could feel the wind in her hair, she said). She was an enigma--delightfully childlike and a tower of strength! In addition to her surviving children, Carol, Randy and Nancy; she is survived by her daughter-in-law, Barbara Kream Condit and her children Julie and Daniel Condit. Other grandchildren include Adam Condit, Traci Carpenter and husband, Skip. Great grandchildren, Ella and Rylan.

A memorial service, celebrating Jean's life, is scheduled on Monday, 8/31/15 (Jean's birthday) at St. John's Episcopal Church in the Cathedral at 13th and Clarkson at 10:30 a.m. A reception will take place at her home from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at 3400 E. Flora Place, Denver, Colorado 80210, after the interment at the cemetary. Flowers may be sent to the church in her name.

Contributions can be made online to Connecticut Brain Tumor Alliance or American Brain Tumor Association.

*Jean’s son David passed away of a Glioplastoma-brain tumor.