Jean Elizabeth Austin

Jean was born Jean Elizabeth Seckler in Sterling, Colorado on February 12, 1942 to parents Marjorie Ellen (Hall) Seckler (deceased) and William John Seckler (deceased). Alzheimer’s disease took both her life and took her from her family and community on April 2, 2026.

She was a middle child with 2 older brothers, David (wife Karen, deceased) and Frank (deceased, wife MaryAnn), a younger sister Nancy Walters (Don), and a younger brother, John (Sheona). Jean and her siblings grew up on one of the largest cattle feedlot operations in the state at that time, and all attended the Sterling school system. Jean loved showing her independent spirit. For an elementary school costume parade, she chose to dress as a monkey while her classmates opted for nurses, doctors and teachers. Continuing to show her independence she selected the flute in music class rather than more traditional reed or brass instruments. And she mastered the Scottish Highland Fling dance while her classmates were learning to tap dance.

Jean, Nan, and John, along with their mother, spent several summers in Grand Lake when Jean was a teenager. Jean loved riding her horse, Red Dog, throughout the Grand Lake community and often rode in local parades. When she wasn’t riding, she was water skiing, or working at the soda fountain (people our age know what that was) at the local pharmacy. There she met several vacationing celebrities including actresses Lucille Ball and Hedy Lamarr. After high school, Jean attended Barnes Business College in Denver and then married Robert Kircher in 1961 in Sterling. She and Bob had 2 children, Valerie Smythe (William) and Robert William.

Jean had known Jim Austin as a high school acquaintance during the 1957-58 school year when she was a sophomore and Jim’s family moved to Sterling while he was a senior. Then in 1980 when both were single parents, they re-met. Jean married Jim on June 8, 1980 and moved to Estes Park where they combined their families and she became the bonus mom to Jim’s four children, William Gregory (deceased), Stephanie Klein (Doug). Thomas (Anna), and Brian (Heather). The combined families have given Jean and Jim 10 grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews from their extended families.

In 1983 Jean and a friend bought the A La Carte kitchen shop which Jean then continued to operate until her retirement in 2005. Her kitchen as well as their RVs always had the latest gadgets. Jean was also an active member of the Quota Club of Estes Park, a professional business women’s service organization. For over 15 years Jean managed the Quota Club’s “Loan closet” which loans medical apparatus such as crutches, wheelchairs and even hospital beds to local residents as well as visitors needing such equipment during recuperation.

Jean always had a giving spirit, particularly at Christmas time, and wanted to help less fortunate families provide a Merry Christmas for their children. In 1984 with the help of family, Jean provided a ‘Bright Christmas.’ including Christmas gifts and food for a full Christmas dinner, for a small number of low-income families. In the following years Bright Christmas continued to grow into a successful nonprofit organization fully supported by the Estes Park community. This team of supporters and volunteers typically provide Christmas gifts and groceries, often for 120 or more Estes Valley families, plus school supplies and year-round shoes, clothing and other necessities. This led to Jean being chosen in 2005 for the Denver TV Channel 7 “Everyday Hero” award, thanks to the nomination by the Hazeltons of the local Estes Park News. Because of the benefits she brought to the community, Jean was also rewarded by being selected to share the Estes Park annual Enduring Service Award with the Mayor of Estes Park in 2016.

Jean loved to entertain, particularly the family and close friends. She enjoyed cooking and her meals were always great with prime rib often being her specialty; no one left hungry. Including the dogs. Over the years Jean and Jim had 4 Shelties and she almost always had a dog with her, even in the kitchen shop.

Travelling became a big delight for Jean. She and son Rob accompanied Jim on an extended business trip to the Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland. Prior to retiring, they took brief trips around Colorado and Wyoming in rented RVs. Then between 2005 and 2023 they owned 5 different RVs and travelled extensively between 3 and 5 months each year; 2 or more months snow-birding in the southwest, typically to the Tucson area, and then 1 to more than 2 months in the summers to the north and west including several forays into western Canada and even 4 long driving trips to Alaska.

The family is hosting an informal Celebration of Life at 3 to 5 PM on June 8th at the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District multipurpose room. Notices will be posted in the newspapers as well as on the DignityMemorial.com website. Gifts in Jean’s memory may be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association, Crossroads Ministry, Bright Christmas, or Pathways Hospice.

Jean was a wife, a mother, a friend, a volunteer, a champion of children, and a shop owner. She knew no strangers, and she is greatly missed.