Elizabeth Ann “Liz” (McLeod) McClugage, 60, died on Friday, June 26, 2020, in Thornton, Colorado, following a recent cancer diagnosis. She was born on November 19, 1959, in Battle Creek, Michigan, to Gordon McLeod and Julia (Torres) McLeod Baker. She attended St. Joseph Elementary and St. Joseph Middle School and was a 1978 graduate of Lakeview High School.
As a child, she was a Bluebird and then a Girl Scout, where she learned many helpful life skills and earned many patches, beads, and awards. Later in life, whenever she cleaned her house, paid bills, or completed some other responsible task, Liz would often joke, “I was a good Girl Scout today.” In middle school she played soccer, floor hockey, and basketball, but she learned at an early age that she liked working with the public in the food service industry. So working became her primary extra-curricular activity. She got her first job at Shrank’s Cafeteria in Battle Creek, Michigan, when she was in ninth grade. During her high school years, she worked for Gropp’s Famous Fish, the Lakewood Inn, and the Battle Creek Country Club before finally settling in at Red Lobster. Within a year of graduation, she moved to Denver, Colorado, where she continued to be a loyal Red Lobster employee until the mid 1990’s. In later life, she worked for American Furniture and Mimi’s Café, where she liked to tell people she was from the Cereal City.
After eight years together, Liz married Mark Gardner of Battle Creek, Michigan, in Estes Park, Colorado, in 1982. Together they had a son, Landon, and a daughter, Lindsay. Until their divorce in 1995, Mark made it a priority to drive the family home to Michigan to visit relatives every summer and every Christmas regardless of the weather. Those visits were very important to Liz.
On March 17, 1998, Liz married Tim McClugage in Thornton, Colorado. They shared twenty two happy years together, and Liz developed a close relationship with her stepdaughters Krista and Lea. Liz and Tim liked to watch professional football on TV. They were huge Denver Broncos fans. They loved going to concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and looked forward to great food and music at Hogfest in Winter Park every year. These are special memories for Tim.
Friends and family describe Liz as a kind, warm hearted, thoughtful person who was always upbeat and positive. She made a point of keeping in touch with both of her grandmothers throughout their lives. She had an excellent memory for family history and always honored birthdays with a nice card or one of her famous hours-long phone calls. Her parents, aunts, and uncles will really miss those phone calls. Growing up in Michigan, the family often picked fresh apples, strawberries, and blueberries when in season, and Liz loved to bake with them. She was a very good cook, but she especially liked to bake. She had a fun sense of humor and loved to keep family stories going. She had an ‘Uncle Bob’ on both sides of the family, and they were both car enthusiasts. As a young child, when she heard the sound of her uncle Bob McLeod’s high performance ‘56 Chevy coming down the street, she would run through the house yelling, “Uncle Bob is coming!” Every time she saw her uncle Bob Johnson, she would tease him and say he should give her his Corvette for her 16th birthday. As an adult, she reminded both uncles of these memories on a regular basis, and she never stopped teasing and asking for that Corvette. Most importantly, she was a loving daughter, sister, friend, mother, stepmother, and grandmother.
Liz will be missed by everyone who knew and loved her.
She is survived by her husband Tim McClugage and son Landon Gardner of Thornton, Colorado; daughter Lindsay (Justin) LaFollette and granddaughter Megan LaFollette of Platteville, Colorado; step-daughter Krista McClugage, step-daughter Lea McClugage, and grandchildren Lily Wilson, Logan Wilson, Harrison Farruggia III, Jeremiah Farruggia all of Thornton, Colorado; and uncle David (SuAnne) Torres of Denver, Colorado.
Liz is also survived by her father Gordon McLeod of Athens, Michigan; mother and step-father Julia and Charles Baker; uncle Bob (Brenda) Johnson; uncle Bob (Linda) McLeod; aunt Carol (Tom) Cotter; and cousins Christopher McLeod, Troy Gorham, Robby Johnson, Ryan Johnson, and Randy Johnson, all of Battle Creek, Michigan; cousin Shaun McLeod of North Carolina; cousins Tracy Gorham, Tammy Gorham and Teresa Buckland of Florida; and cousins Matthew Torres and Amy Buckner of Texas.
Liz was predeceased by her paternal grandparents Wilson and Betty McLeod of Battle Creek, Michigan; maternal grandparents Carl and Ruth Torres, of Battle Creek, Michigan, and sister Debora (McLeod) Boratto of Denver, Colorado.
Due to current public health guidelines, a memorial service will be planned for a later date. Remembrance tributes may be directed to the family via Go Fund Me http://gf.me/u/ybid44 to defray the cost of medical expenses and final arrangements. To share a favorite memory, post a photo, or leave a condolence message for the family, please visit www.OlingerHighland.com.
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