Constance Bell Hein

Constance (Connie) Elaine Bell Hein was born on Nov 25th, 1945, in Lynchburg, VA to George Alfred Bell and Marion Yerzley Bell Temple. She was the 2nd of 3 children. Her family moved often as she was growing up; she moved to Colorado to attend Colorado College where she received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. She moved to Boulder following her marriage to Howard C. Hein in 1967, and eventually they settled in Thornton, CO, where they raised their three children in the house they built. 

Connie very peacefully passed away early in the morning on August 21, 2024. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024, at Horan and McConaty (9998 Grant St, Thornton, CO), followed by a private burial. A Potluck Picnic will be held at 4pm on the 3rd at the Riverwalk Ball Fields pavilion in Thornton. All are welcome for the Funeral at Horan and McConaty and the Potluck Picnic. 

Connie was an amazing woman. People ask, “what did she do”, and while technically, yes, she was a stay-at-home mom, or a homemaker, she was very rarely at home as she made sure to be at every school event, assisted multiple people with their own health needs, and volunteered in multiple organizations from schools to church leadership and governance. She found props and costume pieces for school plays, and she even made a few costumes along the way. 

She was a truth teller and was not afraid to speak up for what was right. Having majored in mathematics, she never voted for any budget that was unbalanced. She spoke against injustice and raised her children to fight for the rights of others. Her faith was a cornerstone for her, and she held onto that, even amid adversity. 

There were only four people she loved more than her husband, children and their spouses, and that was her four grandchildren, all of whom were lucky and blessed to spend days each week with Nana and Grampa. 

This past year has been too fast, especially these last few weeks. While the hope and expectation was to have more time; and while her soul was strong, her body was weak from all that it’s been through. 

Connie was the epitome of love, she would go out of her way to help her family and children, often driving long distances to do so. Even once her children were grown and had their own families, she would make sure she and Howard attended their shows they were in or playing for. She was often up to go on whatever adventures her children had in store. 

She could find the humor and the grace in things like her Guillan-barre, which she developed in the early 2000s, even amidst the difficulties it brought. She was diagnosed with cancer in August of 2023 and fought valiantly over the course of the next year to defeat it. 

She is survived by her husband, Howard Hein; their children, Justin, Austin (Stephanie), and Erica (Scott Michael), four grandchildren; Eero, Beatrice, Imogen, and Finnegan; her brother, George Alfred Bell (Nora); and three nieces, Amanda, Christine, and Madeline. Connie was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Nancy Louise Wilkinson (Forrest). Also surviving are special friends, too many to list.