Brenda Sue Hitchcock

Brenda Sue Hitchcock, born May 23rd, 1962, passed away while on a motorcycle trip in Utah on July 20th, 2023. She was born in Clinton, Iowa, to parents Patricia (Hitchcock) VanBuer and Bill Hitchcock. Brenda was the oldest of three sisters, Cheryl Dau, Christine Robertson, and Mary Salazar.

Brenda enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1987 and began her career with The 17th Contracting Squadron at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. After leaving active duty in 1994, she remained with her friends at 17th Cons as a civil Contract Administrator. Over the next 24 years, she worked her way up to Deputy Commander mentoring countless airmen and civilians along the way. In 2018, Brenda moved to Colorado after accepting the role of Contract Specialist for The National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Apart from her career, Brenda loved riding her Harley tri-glide trike. She was an active member of her Harley owner’s group, The Colorado Chapter Thornton, and Women in The Wind Rocky Mt. Chapter. In both of these groups, she found a deep sense of community and purpose.

Brenda loved her family deeply, those by blood and those by circumstance. If you were lucky enough to fall into either category, you knew you could count on Brenda for anything. This list includes stepchildren who remained a large part of Brenda’s life even after the relationship with their fathers’ ended. She loved them like her own and spoke with great pride about them and their children.

While Brenda was short in stature, she was larger than life with her personality, laughter, strength, and capacity to understand and accept everyone. Be like Brenda; the world could use more love and acceptance.

Left to carry on her legacy are her two children by blood, Billy Lauer and Casey Echeveste, and her two children by choice, Andrea O’Connor and Martin Lauer, who will all continue to make her proud; her three sisters, Cheryl Dau, Christine Robertson, and Mary Salazar along with their spouses and children; her father, Bill Hitchcock, and countless others she mentored, supported, and inspired.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Patricia VanBuer, and loyal companion Bella the dog.

Brenda was a proud cancer survivor; you can honor her memory by taking charge of your health and caring for yourself. She was also an organ donor, so even in her passing, we know she still helped others. Consider being an organ donor to give the gift of life.