Loretta Anne Davis

Loretta Anne Davis Tribute

A Life Well Lived

March 4, 1955-January 4, 2013

Loretta Anne Davis, 57, of Parker crossed over to the other side to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday, February 4 at Sky Ridge Hospital in Lone Tree. She is survived by her Mother, Ruth Marie Davis of St. Elizabeth’s Gardens in Denver; her brother, J. Steve Davis of Santa Fe, New Mexico and four very special nephews: Brandon Hartman of Atlanta, Cullen Boyd Davis of Denver, J. Scott Davis of Santa Rosa, California and Robert Charles Davis of San Francisco. Her Father, John P. Davis and her two beloved sisters, Deborah L. Hartman and Barbara S. Davis, predeceased her.

Loretta was born on March 4, 1955 in Crawford, Nebraska to Ruth and “Pat” Davis, who owned the Crawford Hardware Store in this small northwestern Nebraska community. The population jumped to 1831 at her birth, but diminished to 1826 two years later when the whole Davis family packed up their personal belongings and headed West for the unimaginably big city of Greeley, Colorado.

But Loretta turned out to be far from a small town girl. From age 2 until her death, Loretta was an urban Coloradoan through and though. She loved the state for its beauty, its recreation, its progressive attitudes, the opportunities it presented and, most of all, the wonderful people she befriended here.

She graduated from Loveland High School in the class of 1973 and matriculated to Western State College in Gunnison following graduation, working part time as a waitress to pay for her education. Two years later, the love of the restaurant business led her to Denver where she passionately dived into a relatively new restaurant concept called “Pour la France”. Her dynamism and enthusiasm to serve and create resulted in several industry awards for her and put her on a management track with the company.

She loved business and decided, with her typical enthusiasm, to find her niche in a bigger and more conceptual business environment, which would require her to sharpen her skills and finish her college degree. She began working toward a degree in business administration at the University of Denver from which she graduated in 1999. During the time she was working toward her degree, she was Marketing Director for several engineering firms: Aguirre Engineers, Salaazar Engineers and Ryan Murphy Inc.

Then came a professional opportunity that was to truly shape her life, professionally and personally. In 1998 she joined CH2M HILL, marking the beginning of a long and satisfying career with this renowned engineering firm. Over the next 15 years, she moved up the professional ladder, first in the position of director of account managers in Corporate Marketing and Communications, and finally as director of Marketing and Communications for the firm’s Environmental Business Group.

Over that time, Loretta helped shape the strategic communications for this hard charging $6.4 billion firm, interacting with professionals around the globe. The firm became family to her. She made literally hundreds of friends around the world of CH2M HILL and, in the process of her many experiences there, became one of its foremost cheerleaders with her workmates, her internal and external clients and the outside world. She truly admired the firm and continued to energetically support its mission and its people until she passed away.

One of her largest and most challenging assignments was as Corporate Marketing and Communications director for Masdar City Industry Day in the United Arab Emirates in 2008. She spent four months in Abu Dhabi to direct a community event for Masdar City, a multibillion-dollar strategic engineering and construction program to build a completely sustainably green city from the ground up. It was on this breakthrough project that she served as project manager and business liaison to the client’s marketing and communications staff regarding event planning and strategy.

Her love for the firm showed up in her enthusiastic persona. According to colleagues at the firm who worked with her, “she set the standard for quality work, committed customer service and a passion for excellence. Loretta savored life, strove to see the silver lining in every situation and brought a design aesthetic to her work, her home and her life that epitomized her singular sense of style and elegance.”

Active in several industry and educational organizations, Loretta served as director of the Society of Women in Environmental Professions; was a board member of the Society of American Military Engineers (2004-2007); and member of Public Relations Society of America, University of Denver Dean’s Circle, Women’s Vision Foundation of Denver and University of Denver Community Business Liaisons. She was also an enthusiastic volunteer for “Jewels for Hope” in Denver which benefits those suffering from Type I Diabetes, the disease that prematurely ended the lives of her two sisters.

First and foremost, Loretta loved her Lord, Jesus Christ. She was a person of great faith, a gift that was no doubt channeled through her dear Mother, who is one tenacious prayer warrior. She expressed that love to her family, her friends, her church, the “SPLASH” singles group she served at Cherry Hills Community Church, the University of Denver students she mentored, her cat, Beau and anyone with whom she came in contact. It is safe to say that no one was a stranger to her.

Memorial Services will be held at the Chapel of Cherry Hills Community Church in Highland Ranch at 3900 Grace Boulevard on Monday, February 11^th at 11am. A reception will follow at the church. Internment at the Davis family burial site, at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Greeley, will follow for family members only.

Loretta, we love you and will miss you fiercely. If only a tiny, small portion of the incredible unique light that you were to all of us could shine on in our lives, the world will be a much, much better place. Rest in peace, dear friend, rest in peace. Even though it is hard for us to accept losing you, your work here is finally done.

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In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family suggests a donation to Mission’s Ministries in care of Cherry Hills Community Church which will be applied to building a house for a needy family in Juarez, Mexico. This is a “labor of love” ministry at CHCC that Loretta cared about. Simply make a check payable to CHCC, memo: Mission Ministries.

Please feel free to post your favorite memories of Loretta on the guest book at her Caring Bridge site.<http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lorettadavis1/guestbook