Monica McNeill

Monica Cecelia McNeill passed away peacefully at home on September 11, 2023, surrounded by her loving family, after a valiant battle with breast cancer.

Born July 13, 1949, in Buffalo, New York to Emmett and Ruth Burns. She married Terrence McNeill on November 22, 1969. Together, Monica and Terry were stationed in El Paso, TX, and Nuremberg, Germany, while Terry was an officer in the Army and then moved to New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania before settling in Colorado.

Monica graduated with honors from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, where she met her husband, Terry. Monica’s zest for life and curious nature enabled her to make great friends with almost everyone she met. She was the consummate hostess and entertained friends, family, & Terry’s business associates over dinners and cocktail hours. She’ll be remembered as an active bowler, bunco player, and committed Zumba exerciser. A voracious reader, Monica had an endless supply of books ready for anyone who needed something new to read. Her custom rules for Yahtzee are a well-known secret among her family.

She is survived by her husband of almost 54 years, Terry; Her children, Jenny (Jamie) Weidner, Tim (Melissa) McNeill, and Adam (Katie Nolan) McNeill; Her beloved grandchildren: CJ and Bridget Weidner; and Seamus, Cecelia, and Lukas McNeill; Her brothers, Tim (Carol) Burns and Denny (the late Diana) Burns. She was preceded in death by her parents, Emmett and Ruth Burns, and her brother, Reverend Lawrence E. Burns.

Visitation will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19, at Horan & McConaty Funeral Service, 5303 E. County Line Road, Centennial, CO, followed by Rosary service at 7:30 p.m. A pre-service viewing will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at Our Lady of Loreto, 18000 E. Arapahoe Road, Foxfield, CO, followed by a funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. Reception will follow in Holy Family Hall. Private interment.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to support the Dr. Peter Kabos Breast Cancer Research Fund at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. If giving by check, please send your gift in memory of Monica McNeill to: University of Colorado Foundation, PO Box 17126, Denver CO 80217. On the memo line of the check, please note Monica’s name and make it payable to the CU Foundation. Along with your check, please include a short note detailing that this gift is intended for the Dr. Kabos Breast Cancer Research Fund (Designation Code: D-0032421). Gifts may also be made online at https://giving.cu.edu/fund/dr-peter-kabos-breast-cancer-research-fund.