Our People | Our Legacy
As Colorado celebrates its 150th year of statehood, Christian Living Communities is honored to celebrate the people whose lives and stories have helped shape our communities. Inspired by Colorado 150 and USA 250 milestones, Our People | Our Legacy shares a small collection of stories from the older adults who have called a CLC community home. We invite you to watch this brief message from Jill Vitale-Aussem, our CEO, then explore the stories that remind us that every person has a legacy worth knowing and sharing.
Jump To A Story
- One Mother’s Fight. A Daughter’s Lasting Legacy.
- Faith, Service, and a Thanksgiving to Remember
- When a Generation Needed a Champion
- Changing Policy. Changing Minds. Saving Lives.
- She Turned Her Battle Into A Lifeline
- The Magic Of Belonging
- Healing Beyond the Operating Room
- He Built a Better Mousetrap
- Her Greatest Lesson
- Keeper Of Secrets
- 108 Years of Wisdom
- From Runways To Radio
- From Ashes To Archives
- Bearing Witness Together
- History's Greatest Teachers
- He Taught Colorado to Care for the Land
- Toys For God's Kids
- A Ticket To Home
One Mother’s Fight. A Daughter’s Lasting Legacy.
In May 1963, Andrea Leigh Wilde was born with what we now call Down syndrome—but at the time, she was labeled an “idiot”, and her parents were urged to institutionalize her. Jeanne Wilde refused.
Andrea thrived at home—learning to read, ski, sing, and dance, and even earning a bronze medal in the Special Olympics. Yet she was barred from public school.
Jeanne and her husband fought back. Joining other parents, they challenged the state education system under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. During one of the hearings, a Colorado senator asked them to their faces, “Why would we spend a dollar on a ten-cent kid?” The cruelty did not win; the families and children triumphed. Andrea was finally allowed into public school, where she flourished, making friends and loving every assignment.
On July 31, 1976, Andrea died of leukemia at just 13.
However, her impact endures. Because of Jeanne’s fight and Andrea’s spirit, children with disabilities in Colorado gained the right not just to attend public school – but to belong, succeed, and dream bigger.
Jeanne now makes Holly Creek her home serving on several resident committees.
Faith, Service, and a Thanksgiving to Remember
It has been said that this image taken by AP radio is the first Thanksgiving celebrated in Vietnam for American combat troops.
Chaplain Jan Friend, a captain in the US Army arrived via helicopter determined to bring a “piece of home” to the front lines as he and his counterparts set up a chapel, complete with organ under the rubber trees in Lai Khe, the headquarters for the First Infantry Division, Third Brigade. Jan’s wife Lydia and friends saw this image splashed across publications nationwide.
Jan and Lydia made Someren Glen home many years ago. Jan passed in 2017; he served two tours of combat duty in Korea and Vietnam. Lydia continues the couple’s commitment to faith and kindness as she volunteers in the library and records new neighbors’ histories to help create community at Someren Glen.
When a Generation Needed a Champion
When the rubella epidemic of the 1960s left thousands of children born with Congenital Rubella Syndrome—causing deafness, blindness, or both—Ann Perry answered the call to help.
She became a pioneer in deaf education, developing curriculum that opened doors to public education and gave children new opportunities to learn, communicate, and belong.
Pictured here (left) in 1977 at the Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis, Ann later served as principal of a school for deaf students, dedicating her career to ensuring every child had the chance to reach their full potential.
Ann now calls Clermont Park her home, contributing in many ways to enrich the fabric of daily life.
Changing Policy. Changing Minds. Saving Lives.
Today dialysis gives thousands of people with kidney failure the chance to live longer, fuller lives. But in the early 60’s, the treatment was new, controversial, uncovered by insurance, and unavailable in Colorado.
Dr. Richard Holman believed that could, and should, change.
After completing specialty training in 1966, Dr. Holman saw the life-saving potential for people with acute kidney failure. While many physicians questioned the treatment and insurance companies refused to cover it, he refused to give up. He challenged the status quo, worked tirelessly to establish Colorado’s first dialysis centers at Rose and Presbyterian Hospitals, and successfully fought for insurance coverage so more patients could receive the care they desperately needed.
Dr. Holman’s determination helped transform kidney care in Colorado, giving countless people the opportunity for more time, better health, and renewed hope.
Dr. Holman and his wife, Jan, later made Holly Creek their home. An avid golfer, Dr. Holman was called away for his final tee time in August 2025. Jan continues to be a cherished member of the Holly Creek community.
She Turned Her Battle Into A Lifeline
Patti Ehline joined the U.S. Army to help pay for nursing school, but shortly after graduating as a registered nurse, she was deployed to the front lines of Vietnam, where she cared for hundreds of wounded and dying soldiers.
The war left her with the invisible wounds of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet instead of allowing her pain to define her, Patti dedicated her life to helping others heal. She became a respected PTSD educator and advocate, speaking in schools, nursing homes, veterans organizations, retreats, and in countless one-on-one conversations with adults, teenagers, and children.
Her nursing career earned the Service Pillar Award, but perhaps her greatest honor came from those she helped, many of whom simply said, “This is Patti. She saved my life.”
Patti and her husband David made Someren Glen their home in the summer of 2024, she passed away in the fall. David, a retired CLC chaplain, continues to give back through his woodworking.
The Magic of Belonging
Jean Todd and her twin sister Joan believed every person deserved the opportunity to shine, regardless of cognitive or physical abilities. Together they founded Magic Moments serving the south Denver metro area.
Magic Moments is a professionally produced musical theater program where everyone who wants to can audition, rehearse, perform, and contribute—because no one is ever turned away.
What began as a deeply held belief in the potential of every person has grown into a thriving nonprofit that continues to foster confidence, connection, and purpose through the performing arts.
Jean also served as the Choir Director at Saint Mary’s Catholic Parish from 1971-1991 taking an 80-90 voice choir to perform in the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia as well as at Arlington National Cemetery during the 1976 International Eucharistic Congress.
Jean turned 98 this past 4th of July and continues to make her home at Someren Glen.
Healing Beyond the Operating Room
Dr. Gary VanderArk has spent a lifetime proving that medicine is about more than treating illness—it’s about ensuring everyone has access to care.
A pioneering neurosurgeon, he helped establish Denver Health’s neurosurgery program, led the Colorado Neurological Institute, and founded Doctors Care, a nonprofit network of volunteer physicians and healthcare professionals who provide free medical care to uninsured and underserved Coloradans. Through Doctors Care, the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved, his advocacy before the Colorado Legislature, and decades of medical practice, colleagues estimate his work has touched more than 1.5 million lives.
Dr. VanderArk’s legacy is one of compassion, leadership, and a steadfast belief that quality healthcare should never depend on a person’s ability to pay.
Dr. VanderArk and his wife Phylis are part of the vibrant neighborhood at Holly Creek.
He Built A Better Mousetrap
Every day, millions of Coloradans travel roads that bear Jim Ryan’s signature. As a civil engineer, he helped redesign Denver’s infamous “Mousetrap” interchange at I-25 and I-70, contributed to the new Denver International Airport, and led transportation projects that improved travel across the state.
His work didn’t just move traffic—it connected communities, fueled economic growth, and helped shape the way Colorado moves today.
In the 16 years he served on the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District Board he helped guide the development of the Lone Tree Golf Club, the Buck and Lone Tree Rec. Centers and Family Sports Center – where the Colorado Avalanche practice!
Even in retirement at Holly Creek, Jim continued building a better community, managing and improving the resident woodshop with the same care he brought to projects across Colorado. Jim has since passed away, his wife Marilyn continues to be a cherished neighbor at Holly Creek.
Her Greatest Lesson
For more than 40 years, Diana Bennett inspired thousands of Colorado children and educators as a teacher and principal in Denver Public Schools and the Denver Archdiocese school system.
Believing every child can learn—just in different ways—she brought lessons to life. When she was responsible for the construction of a new elementary school on the Good Shepard campus, she used the construction process as a hands-on learning experience for her students. She also mentored young teachers, multiplying her impact for generations to come.
Today, as a resident of Dayspring Villa, Diana continues to advocate for older adults by organizing letter-writing campaigns and speaking out to protect Medicaid funding. Her classroom may have changed, but her lifelong commitment to helping others learn, grow, and thrive continues to shape Colorado.
Keeper Of Secrets
When Nancy Tipton graduated from college in 1944, she was sworn to secrecy for a job she couldn’t even tell her family about.
Working nights in a building beside the Pentagon, she helped decode Japanese military communications as one of America’s legendary “Code Girls.” For more than 70 years, she remained silent about the work that helped change the course of World War II.
Her remarkable service was finally recognized in the bestselling book Code Girls, where Nancy was honored alongside the women who quietly helped secure victory. After the war, she built a life in Colorado as a Denver Post writer, mother of four, and Holly Creek and Someren Glen resident. Her legacy reminds us that history is often shaped by heroes whose stories remained untold. Nancy passed away in 2026.
108 Years of Wisdom
When Gertie Abkes was born in 1912, the Titanic had just sunk, and women still couldn’t vote. She remembered Civil War veterans marching through her Iowa hometown before moving to Colorado during World War II at the wartime speed limit of 35 miles per hour.
After settling at Clermont Park, Gertie embraced every opportunity to connect, celebrating birthdays with neighbors, Broncos players, and even rides in a 1912 Model T.
When she passed away at 108, she was Colorado’s oldest resident. Her advice for a life well lived was beautifully simple: “Treat everyone the same and love everyone.“
Watch Gertie’s 105th Birthday Celebration:
From Runways To Radio
Former Eagle County Commissioner Dick Gustafson helped transform a small mountain airport into the commercial gateway that now welcomes millions of visitors to Vail and Beaver Creek.
When he moved to Holly Creek, he found another way to connect people by launching the community’s resident-run radio station, HCRK. Donating his own equipment and serving as its first DJ, Dick turned a simple idea into a daily source of news, music, and friendship.
Years later, HCRK continues to thrive because of the foundation he built. Whether connecting people through travel or over the airwaves, Dick’s legacy was bringing communities together.
From Ashes To Archives
For Glenda Prosser (pictured far right), libraries have never been just buildings—they’re places where communities learn, connect, and grow.
A Colorado native, Glenda earned her master’s degree in library and information science from the University of California, Berkeley, before beginning her career at the Los Angeles Central Library.
On April 28, 1986, Glenda was working on the telephone reference desk in the Business & Economic Department when the largest library fire in U.S. history broke out. The fire raged for seven and half hours, injuring 50 firefighters and destroying nearly a million books. Glenda remained on staff, helping serve the community throughout the seven-year rebuilding effort which included helping raise $10 million dollars.
That same passion for preserving knowledge followed her home to Colorado, where she has lived at both Clermont Park and Someren Glen, volunteering countless hours to strengthen each community’s library and advocating for the resources they need. Glenda has shared her rebuilding from the ashes experience in “Book Talks” at CLC communities and neighborhood gatherings in the south metro Denver area.
Whether restoring one of America’s great libraries or nurturing neighborhood collections, Glenda’s legacy is helping ensure that stories—and the people who share them—continue to thrive.
Bearing Witness Together
As children, Carol Furuta, Ruth Kawamura, and Jane Mayeda watched their families lose their homes and businesses after Executive Order 9066 forced Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II.
Decades later, these Holly Creek residents chose to tell their stories publicly through HCRK radio, Colorado Public Radio, and Denver7. Their firsthand accounts transformed history from something students read about into something people could truly understand.
By courageously sharing painful memories, they hope future generations recognize the dangers of prejudice and injustice. As Carol reminds us, “Let’s not repeat history.”
Click here to watch a video from Denver7.
History's Greatest Teachers
For ten years, Clermont Park veterans and their spouses turned history into something students could experience firsthand.
Veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam shared personal stories with Denver South High School sophomores, answering honest questions about combat, sacrifice, rationing, and life after war.
Instead of reading about history, students met the people who lived it. Many of the veterans had attended Denver South themselves, creating a powerful full-circle moment. Their lessons ensured that the courage and sacrifices of the Greatest Generation will never be forgotten.
He Taught Colorado to Care for the Land
Long before environmental education became mainstream, Dan Parker was helping Coloradans understand the importance of protecting natural resources.
Through decades of leadership with conservation organizations and the Colorado State Conservation Board, he inspired schools, communities, and policymakers to become better stewards of the environment.
His lifelong commitment earned him the Enos A. Mills Lifetime Achievement Award, one of Colorado’s highest honors in environmental education. Today, Dan continues sharing his passion with neighbors at Holly Creek, proving that retirement can be another chapter of purpose. His legacy lives on in the landscapes—and people—he helped shape.
Toys For God's Kids
Inside the woodshops at Holly Creek and Someren Glen, residents craft simple wooden toy cars that travel to children in more than 150 countries.
Since 2006, these volunteer “Smile Makers” have partnered with Toys for God’s Kids, creating thousands of handmade gifts for children facing poverty, disaster, and hardship.
Many of the original volunteers were World War II veterans whose spirit of service continued long after the war. For resident Bill Keebler, Chuck Whitmore and Bob, every toy carries a powerful reminder that every child is valued and loved. What begins as a block of wood often becomes a lasting message of hope.
A Ticket To Home
When Peggy Jastremski and her husband began planning for retirement, Hawaii seemed like the perfect destination. But after respiratory issues made a warmer, drier climate a better choice, she responded to a national advertisement for a free airline ticket from a housing developer to explore a new planned community called Pueblo West in Colorado.
The innovative “Fly-to-See” program is credited with creating Pueblo West.
One visit was all it took—they fell in love with the community and chose Pueblo West as their forever home. More than 50 years later, as a resident of Cappella of Pueblo West, her story is a reminder that a single opportunity can change the course of a life and help shape the future of an entire community.