Mary Constance Ghent

Connie was born on Oct. 27, 1931, in Fresno, California, to Howard “Ben” Benedict and Helen Metz Benedict. The family of five moved to Sioux City, Iowa, shortly after her birth.

Connie attended Central High School in Sioux City, graduating in 1949. She attended the University of South Dakota for two years as an English major pledging Pi Beta Phi. She married Leo Peck on Feb. 14, 1952, in Sioux City then moved to the Chicago area for his job.

Once in Illinois, the couple had three children, who survive: Lee Anne Peck (Joe Coca) of Weston, Colorado; Jeffrey Edward Peck of Salt Lake City, Utah; and Megan LaForest (Steve) of Greeley. The family moved to Heidelberg, Germany, in 1968, and lived there for four years.

Connie moved herself and three children to Fort Collins, Colorado, and started a fresh life. She met the love of her life, Dwight Ghent (now deceased), soon after, and they were married in August 1973. That marriage created an instant family of seven children, which included his four sons: Gregory, Bradley, Richard, and Robert.

Dwight and Connie were happily married for 47 years. During that time, there were many family reunions that became bigger and bigger as the children married, had children, and those children had children—and those children had children! At Connie’s 90th birthday party, every one of these family members attended, which was more than 60 people.

After her marriage to Dwight, she continued her love of reading and cooking. She and Dwight participated in a famed “Slide-Ass” Gin Club, a group of avid gin players who met regularly. She enjoyed traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada, and playing the slots with her sister Ginnie Gleason (now deceased) and their two cousins from Sioux City.

In Fort Collins, one of her claims to fame was her restaurant reviewing. She wrote for Choice Magazine of the Front Range for several years before writing regularly for The Fort Collins Coloradoan. She often wrote lovingly of her companion at the meal, “the hearty eater,” who was Dwight. As time went by, she enjoyed doing The New York Times crossword and watching the TV program “Jeopardy.”

Most of all, though, she loved being a grandmother to her 14 grandchildren and a great-grandmother to her 20 great-grandchildren. They call her “Gigi.”

Connie is survived by her three children, three stepsons and all those who call her Gigi. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Howard “Punky” Benedict; her sister, Ginnie Gleason; and her husband, Dwight, and her stepson Bradley Ghent.

A celebration of life will be at 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 23, at Allnutt Funeral Home’s Macy Chapel in Greeley,6521 W. 20th St., followed by a reception at the same location. Connie will be laid to rest next to her husband at Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins at a private family ceremony.