Dana Kristine Skudneski

Dana Kristine Skudneski

Dana "Angel" Kristine Gulick Barker Skudneski, born in Denver, CO, March 17, 1972, passed onward, August 19, 2014, due to natural causes as a result of severe heart disease, at home in Cherry Hills Village, CO. Survived by parents Barbara "Bobbie" and Jim Junge, and "Bunnie" and Robert Gulick, husband, David A. Skudneski and lovely and gifted daughter Grace, Dana will be solemnly missed...the bond of love lives eternally.

Dana was, "Aunty Dana" to beautiful nieces Maclaren and Everett, children to brother, Ryan Gulick, married to his intuitive and intelligent wife Kate.

Funeral services will be sacredly held September 19th, 2014, 11am at Cherry Hills Community Church.

Revered contributions can be sent to the Comitis Crisis Center where Dana proudly worked and managed for 12 years. (See Bullock's Mortuary for more information.)

Dana earned her undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University where she met and married Christopher Barker, father to their daughter Gracie.

Dana was active. A love for Colorado and the Rocky Mountains found her joyfully camping where few dared, snow and water skiing- I am told she was at or close to an "expert level", hiking, and making "snow angels" in the winter; Dana was "outdoor active" throughout the year. Her love for the mountain towns of Aspen and Vail, in particular, were a place of respite- think coffee or hot chocolate sipping next to a mountain stream. Dana was at home in Colorado; she could requite her appreciation for Native American culture and art here; in fact, many an objet d'art have adorned the walls of her homes for years.

Able to speak Spanish, she communicated with many, and listened to wide variety of topics with whom she shared friendship.

Willing to try new things Dana was also a quick study. After having shown an ease in the rigors of academic learning in college, Dana was equally adept in the physical side of learning, too. After just minutes of explanation to the maneuvers of social and ballroom dancing, Dana showed a lightness on her feet which clearly suggested many years of practice. Dana could be brave, or crazy, too! Only recently announced to her mother Bobbie, Dana was willing to jet down the mountain steepness from Echo Lake toward Idaho Springs, outside of Evergreen, CO, where our tandem bike reached 50 mph! (Sorry Bobbie, she threatened to do bodily harm to me if I ever told you!)

As for Grace, your mommy loved you and loves you with all her heart, earthly and eternal. She was whole when you were around and a part of her was missing when you were away. To you Grace she was honored to be your Mom. You, along with your Daddy, were and are her gift to this world. She loved you Grace. She loves you now, Grace.

...to Bobbie, Mom to Dana as a child, and best friends as adults, you were her guide and compass here on this planet instilling in her a love for all, for Jesus and God, to live here, and to live hereafter, I know how hard this is for you and how much you miss her.

...to Jim, Dana described you as her "dad" and rock solid father figure- she found it a privilege to be your daughter, a privilege she found in both of you.

...to Ryan and Kate, and Maclaren and Everett, she found much joy in being around you and being a part of your lives.

...to Keaton and Palmer and Landon...the last thing she wanted to impress upon me, as I left to help my son Keaton settle into college was, and I quote, "I love your Boys so much, I really do love them"; to you three she was colloquially step-mom, but more, a becoming friend, she loved you and wanted the best for each of you.

...to Bunny and Bob, she adored you, admired you, and respected you.

...to Diane, Holly, and Allison, and a host of many others, too many to name, here, she loved you all.

...to René, she found you equally important in times of need and times of "girl time"; you buoyed Dana, as you have stabilized me for 40 years.

Dana is "home with Jesus", I sincerely know this is to be true; Dana so often told me she so truly wanted and believed it would be so. Dana was active in her Bible studies, here, at Cherry Hills Christian Church. A very large outpouring of love, kindness, support, food, and shared grieving have flowed from this great religious and spiritual organization Dana loved so much.

A regular at Starbucks, Dana was often found taking part in the communal affairs which color our lives so effortlessly; many a party was started, there.

Passionate. Loving. Caring. Caregiver. Darling. Hugger. Intelligent. God-loving, and Jesus' heaven received addition. Friend.

...to all of us- Dana was our friend, our God-friend, she loved people.


Words.

Dana had a favorite word...

No words suffice, nor can they. Words cannot suffice.
Mere words are definitions of That which cannot be named. That which can never be defined was Dana's, is Dana's legacy. That word is loving friend.

She was feminity. She was girlie. She was womanly. She was maternal.

She is angelic.

For many it is hard to understand this order of things as it relates to Dana's passing; certainly there is loss, real loss, but, it is our temporal terrestrial understanding which believes this way. There is another way, an eternal way. I choose to believe there is a terrestrial heart and an ethereal heart. The terrestrial heart is to be left here, for us to remember the love. The eternal heart is a beacon of light for us to unite once again some future date. Things are "out of order",  here, from our limited perspective and and "reordered" in heaven.

Take the time to tell and show those whom you love, your love.

Again, I take liberty in profoundly extending heart-felt thanks to you all from Dana. You were and are her friends and family. Your kind words, prayers, support and love for her and us all have eased the burden. I let you know Dana loved you all.

I love you Dana...and I felt your love for me.

Oh, Dana's favorite word?, "Mommy".

God bless.


All the Best

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Dana's Memorial Fund, benefitting the Comitis Crisis Center.  Contributions can be made to the Dana K. Skudneski Memorial Fund at any Key Bank Center.  Charitable donations can also be made in the following way:

• Make checks payable to "Comitis" and mail to Comitis Crisis Center, P.O. Box 919, Aurora, CO  80040
• Online donations are also accepted by credit card at the following link: http://www.coloradogives.org/ComitisCrisisCenter/overview
• Credit card donations can also be made via phone by calling Amy Henderson, our Financial Controller, at 720-975-0155, Ext 12