Cassandra Lynn Whitmore

Cassie was born in Chicago, Illinois to Robert McGrath and Terry (Galas) Watson on May 23, 1966. She grew up in Vernon Hills, Illinois and attended Libertyville HS where she graduated a year early in 1983. In 1987, she welcomed her son, Christopher. Shortly afterwards she moved to Virginia where she met her husband, Colin. In 1990 they had a daughter, Jordan and shortly thereafter they moved to Colorado which quickly became home.

Cassie was a woman of many talents. She was a very active person. It seemed as though she was always doing something. She loved to remodel and redecorate her home. She would go to farming shows and swap meets to look at all the cute animals. She took care of her dogs and raised chickens. Those days were some of my best memories with my mom.

She was quick to call us and when she hadn’t heard from us in a while. While we were all busy, including my mom, it never ceased to amaze me how she always managed to have time for us and her grandchildren. Mom always loved to play with her grandchildren.

Memories are a funny thing. It’s been a couple of weeks now, and I still look at my phone every morning wondering when she will text me. She used to text me every morning. I guess that’s just how strong a memory is. Just this week, I was so sad because her granddaughter was running a fever and I had no one to call to help me comfort her. As those memories slowly fade, though, they’ll never be completely gone.

In my mind, it means my mother will never be completely gone. I don’t know if this helps anyone else or not, but I find a lot of comfort in that thought; in simply feeling like maybe her spirit is still with us. I also take comfort in knowing that she is in a better place. Mom is no longer hurting anymore, and she can do all of those things that she used to love to do.

Sometimes, the passing of a loved one can be difficult. It’s not always about the fact that the person died, however. Death can also be a time for celebration. It can be a time to look back on their life, and to realize all of the great times that you had with them. Even though I am very sad, I’ll always look back on those long conservations with my mom and smile. I’ll look back on those birthday parties and remember how great it is that my kids had that time with their gram-ma. So, while I’m sad, I’ll always try in my heart to celebrate the life that she did have.

Cassie is survived by her son, Chris, daughter, Jordan and her two grandchildren, Ryleigh and Kyndal. She also leaves behind her mother, Terry, and father Bob, as well as her brother and sisters; Rob, Allison, Patty, Keri, Heather and Karen.