Gwendolyn Downey

Gwendolyn (Gwen) Vandenberg Downey

Gwendolyn Downey, nee Vandenberg, was born April 4, 1936, in Oskaloosa, IA, to Cornelius "Casey" and Helen Vandenberg. She grew up and attended elementary, middle and high school in Pella, IA. In 1955 she was honored by being chosen as Tulip Queen of the annual Tulip Festival which commemorates Pella’s Dutch heritage. She went to Central College in Pella where she studied English, with a minor in Theatre. There she met her future husband Arthur "Art" Downey, while they worked together extensively in theatrical productions including Christ in the Concrete City, a production that traveled around the U.S. After graduating from Central College, Gwen moved to Marshalltown, IA, where she taught middle school English. Gwen and Art married on Saturday, May 28th, 1960 (a mere two days before Art graduated from Central). The couple then moved to Ithaca, NY, where Art attended law school at Cornell Law School. During this time, Gwen worked as a school teacher. Her love of teaching grammar and proper English would never fade and is something she passionately and kindly instilled in her children and grandchildren. In the summer of 1963 she and Art moved to Colorado - the state they would call home for the next 60 years. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and loved spending time with her family. She also loved entertaining and decorating; Gwen always had a flair for making holidays special, famously decorating differently-themed Christmas trees in many rooms of their home. After many years of poor health, she died surrounded by family at her son Neal's home on the afternoon of Sunday, June 18th, 2023; a little over a year after Art passed. She is survived by her sister Louise; her children Anne, Neal and Drew; and her grandchildren Al (and his wife Emily), Nick, Abby, Jake, and Luke; and great-granddaughters Olive and Juniper.Memorial service will be at Grace Evangelical Free Church in Longmont (2415 Lake Park Dr, Longmont, CO 80503) at 1pm on Monday July 10, 2023. There will be a reception following the service in the reception hall at Grace Evangelical Free Church.