Anne Foster Standley passed away on Saturday, November 23 at the age of 87. She was born August 14, 1932, at Glockner-Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs. Her parents were Lawrence and Frieda Skiffington, who ran the Manitou Springs drugstore, and were involved in all aspects of the town’s life. She was raised in the Manitou home purchased by her grandparents, George and Anna Rinderspacher, when they retired from Nebraska.
After graduation, she attended the University of Colorado, where she met Bill Foster at a sorority dance.
The couple married in 1953. Bill was an instructor for pilot training for the Air Force and opened a business in New Mexico. The couple had two children. Bill died when Don was three and Carol was two months old. The family moved back to Manitou to be with loved ones.
Anne returned to school, received her B.A. in Education from Colorado College, and was hired to teach elementary school in School District 14. She continued her education, receiving a Master’s Degree in School Administration from the University of Colorado, moving her children with her in the summers while she attended class.
Anne was promoted by the District to be Principal at the newly-built Ute Pass Elementary School in Chipita Park, and relocated to Cascade. At that time, she was one of six female principals in El Paso County. After 15 years there, she moved to Manitou Springs Elementary where she was Principal for ten years.
One of the concepts that she held was that academics were most important, but should also be supported by a foundation in creativity and the arts. Supported by dedicated and hardworking teachers in both schools, students enjoyed a variety of activities. Ute Pass and Manitou students performed in yearly operettas produced by music teacher Evelyn Jacobs at Ute Pass and Susan Mateczek at Manitou. Ute Pass art teacher Priscilla Barsotti brought the circus to school, with staff dressing as clowns and animals, and the school became a circus tent. A fairy god mother flew into Manitou Elementary, and Mary Mashburn recruited the staff to be the first Imagination Celebration site, a happy union that lasted seven years and created a rainforest exhibition at the BAC and community art shows, winning numerous art awards.
Anne belonged to Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, was secretary of the Cascade Volunteer Fire Department, founding member of the Ute Pass Historical Society, Chapter K PEO, Garden of the Gods Club, and also volunteered at the Garden of the Gods Visitors’ Center for 15 years.
After retiring, she moved to Kissing Camels Estates and then to MacKenzie Place.
Two husbands preceded her in death, Bill H. Foster and Jack Standley; and her daughter, Carol Foster-Kabler. Surviving are her beloved son, Dr. Don “Fess” Foster, daughter-in-law, Kathy, and granddaughter Emily (Eric) Bruner, all of Montana; grandson Ben of Denver; stepdaughter Stephanie (Dan) Cubero, and grandchildren Brian, Sydney and Megan of Colorado Springs; her brother, George (Emma Lou) Skiffington of Colorado Springs and niece Sue Skiffington-Blumberg (Al) of Colorado Springs, niece Sarah Skiffington of Cody Wyoming; son-in-law Merlyn Kabler (Katy) of Simla; and many loved nieces, stepchildren, colleagues and friends.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Donations can be sent to the Cascade Volunteer Fire Department, Attention Fire Department Treasurer, Anne Foster Donation, P.O. Box 366, Cascade, Colorado, 80809.
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