Leona L Croissant

June 30, 1934 – 2026

Leona Lue Croissant, 91, passed away peacefully on February 8,

2026.

Born on June 30, 1934, in Burlington, Colorado, to Lemoine and

Rachel (Chandler) Hafer, Leona grew up in a small-town

environment that shaped her strong, independent spirit. She

attended Burlington High School and, upon graduation, eagerly

left for Denver, declaring she would never return to live in

Burlington. Her first job was at a bank in Denver, where she

began building the foundation of her lifelong self-reliance and

determination.

It was in Denver that she met Robert L. "Bob" Croissant on a

blind date. When Bob introduced her to his parents, his mother

declared, “She is my future daughter-in-law.” The couple

married on September 8, 1956, in Denver, beginning a loving

partnership that lasted 44 years until Bob’s death in 2000.

Early in their marriage, they lived in Oklahoma while Bob

served in the Army Artillery. Bob later worked for Colorado

State University in the extension service as an agronomist, first

in Greeley where their daughter Pamela was born and then to

Sterling where son Gregory was born. When Bob received a

transfer to Burlington—the very place Leona had vowed to

leave—she learned to embrace the change, and their son Barry

was born there. They were members of the Burlington First

Baptist Church for many years.

The family remained in Burlington until 1985, when they moved

to Fort Collins. In Fort Collins, Leona enjoyed working for an

inventory service, volunteering at the Senior Center, and reading

to children at the local elementary school, she was involved in

the CSU Women’s Association and she was a member of the

American Baptist and the Front Range Baptist Churches.

In 2014, Leona relocated to Glenwood Springs to be closer to

her son and his family. She made new friends through the Senior

Center and spent countless happy hours at the library as a

lifelong avid reader—often surrounded by a comforting stack of

books and newspapers. Here she attended the Glenwood Church

of Christ with her family.

Leona and Bob shared a deep love of travel, creating cherished

memories on adventures around the world. Among her favorites

were trips to the Philippines (where one of her granddaughters

was born), the Galapagos Islands, and Epcot Center at Disney

World.

Leona was predeceased by her beloved husband, Bob; her

parents; brothers Aaron and James Hafer; sisters Donna Scott

and Cora Towers; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Irene and Roy

Schmidt; and niece Kelly Langdon.

She is survived by her daughter Pamela (Kirk) McDaniel; sons

Gregory Croissant and Barry (Darcy) Croissant; grandchildren

Cassie (Jerry Slafkes), Nick (Breanne) Croissant, Jake Croissant,

Chelsea Croissant (Cody Roberts), Bonnie and Joey Croissant,

Amanda McDaniel, and Sean McDaniel; great-grandchildren

Henry, Elsie, Amelia, Charles, Laurel, Merryn Slafkes,

Madeline, Wesley, Hudson Croissant, Brooklynn, Harper and

Wylde Roberts and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the

entire staff at Western Slope Memory Care for the tremendous

support, compassionate care and genuine love showered upon

her in her final chapter.

A graveside service will be held in Fort Collins, CO where she

will be laid to rest next to Bob. In lieu of flowers, donations can

be made to Western Slope Memory Care 2594 Patterson Rd,

Grand Junction, CO 81505