Anna Lee Aist

Anna Lee Aist, 85, of Aurora, Colorado, died at home on July 8, 2026. She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Eugene H. Aist (d. 2024), and is survived by two sons, Kelvin Aist (Ann) of Buena Vista, CO and Rodney Aist (Janet) of Jerusalem; one daughter, Rebecca Aist McFee (Daniel) of Fort Collins, CO; six grandsons, Mitchell Aist, Nathan Aist, Rudy Aist, Jed Aist (Tori), Giles McFee (Alyssa), and Isaac McFee; and one great-granddaughter, Genevieve McFee.

Anna was born on August 14, 1940 in Bethesda, Arkansas to Dewell Porter (d. 1997) and Lillie (Marshall) Porter (d. 1996). The first of two children, she is survived by her sister, Norma Jane (Porter) Brazil, of Conway, AR. As well as having some farmland, her parents worked in and later owned Bethesda Grocery, and as teenagers, Anna and Jane were in charge of dinner as their parents closed the store. Throughout her life, Anna maintained a close relationship with her sister, Jane, and had fond memories of growing up in Bethesda, of neighbors and relatives, of the house and the farm, as well as her horse and her dog. She loved her roots and maintained a subscription to the local paper wherever she lived.

Anna graduated from Batesville High School in 1958, where she played basketball for the varsity team. A lifelong Methodist, she married Eugene (Gene) Aist, the son of the local Methodist preacher, on June 14, 1960 at Campground Methodist Church in Bethesda, a church of particular family significance, located on the same lane as the house of her birth. From there, Anna and Gene went places, had a family, and discovered new worlds together.

Married life began in Little Rock, Arkansas, where Kelvin and Rodney were born. One afternoon upon learning about a ‘take it or leave it’ offer at work, Anna purchased the couple’s first house without Gene’s knowledge! The family subsequently lived in El Dorado, Arkansas, where Rebecca was born, Tempe, Arizona, where Gene completed a graduate degree, and Warrensburg, Missouri, where the family lived for twelve years. Life in Missouri included bowling leagues, her church and Sunday School class, dreams of one day owning a miniature golf course, and a dog named Ginger. Anna was a devoted, caring mother—as well as the matron of a 1970s station wagon family. Thus, when she was not preparing meals at home, she was driving her kids around town and attending their school, scout, and sporting events. Out-of-town family trips included shopping in Kansas City, camping in a pop-up trailer, and visiting relatives in Arkansas, as well as memorable vacations from the Grand Canyon to New York City.

Just as the family loved Anna’s cooking, Anna equated her food with love. Food was always in abundance, especially at holidays. There was always dessert in the house, particularly for Gene. While unafraid to try something new, her classics included deviled eggs, chicken and dumplings, rice casseroles, and smothered steak, as well as peanut brittle and Hello Dollies.

Anna had the opportunity to move back to Arkansas in 1983, as Gene took jobs at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and later at the Arkansas State Department of Higher Education in Little Rock. During these years, Anna transitioned from a stay-at-home mother to working outside the home, most notably as a data entry specialist at Air Transport International in Little Rock, tracking safety inspections of the planes. She also worked for a furniture store and in the customer service department at Dillard’s. She had a mind for business, and her professional strengths included sales, math, and organizational skills.

Anna and Gene’s travels continued as the kids grew up, moved away, and grandchildren were born. They frequently visited family but likewise traveled on their own. Together, they visited all fifty states and made separate trips to the Caribbean, Britain, Germany, Denmark, and Jerusalem. They particularly enjoyed Branson, Missouri.

Upon retirement, Anna made the difficult decision to leave Arkansas once again, and in 2007, Anna and Gene retired to Colorado to be closer to grandchildren, where she lived for nearly twenty years. During this time, she was a faithful member of Smoky Hill United Methodist Church. Anna had strong political views that were rooted in her faith, empathy, and compassion for others. She was friendly, positive, and kind. Bringing people together, she could be extremely social and was an inveterate storyteller.

Anna had a love for sports, particularly football and basketball, and would have liked to have been a women’s college basketball coach. Together with Gene, she attended the 1961 Cotton Bowl between Arkansas and Duke and after retirement saw the Rose Bowl and Rose Bowl Parade in person. In the years in between, she attended her children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events, as well as local college sports in Missouri and Arkansas. Over the last several years of her life, she spent weekends and evenings watching games on TV, particularly following her kid’s universities, a way of expressing her pride in their educational and professional achievements.

Anna particularly loved the holidays and was an avid collector of Christmas. She was known for her nutcracker collection, her Dickens Christmas Village, and for the personalized embroidered stockings that she made for each member of the family. There’s a Spirit to Christmas, both faith-filled and festive, that resonated with Anna. Christmas is a season of generosity, which Anna experienced from her parents and subsequently shared with her children and grandkids.

Generous, concerned, and caring, Anna, Mom, and Nana will always be loved.

A memorial service for Anna will be held Monday, August 3, 2026 at 11:00 at Smoky Hill United Methodist Church, 19491 E Smoky Hill Rd, Centennial, CO 80015.

The family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org), United Way of North Central Arkansas ((870) 793-5991), or Smoky Hill United Methodist Church (www.smokyhillumc.org).