Elaine McCurdy

Elaine McCurdy was born April 13, 1926, in Denver, Colorado, to Russell Warneke, Sr. and his wife, Hazel Warneke. She had one brother, Russell Warneke, Jr., who predeceased her. She died August 8, 2015, after a brief illness. She is survived by daughters Diane (Rob) Slutz and Julie (Neil) Williamson, four grandchildren—Jeff, Jennifer, Scott and Elisa, and four great-grandchildren. Elaine grew up in Denver and graduated from South High School. She worked in the administrative office of the Union Pacific Railroad until her children were born. In 1948, Elaine met Jack McCurdy on Halloween, at a dance where they had been set up as a blind date. They were married about ten months later, on August 17, 1949. Jack gave Elaine a string of pearls as a wedding gift. Jack and Elaine were married for 60 years until his death in 2010. Jack and Elaine had two daughters: Diane, born in 1954, and Julie, born in 1956. In 1955, the fall before Julie was born, the family moved into their house on South Hudson Street. Elaine loved that home and lived there until the afternoon before she died. Elaine's family was by far the most important thing to her. She loved being a mother and grandmother, watching her daughters and their children grow. She was a homemaker in the best sense of the word and was the glue of the family. She made healthy and delicious meals and made sure the family always ate dinner together. She was an excellent seamstress and sewed all of Diane and Julie's dresses as they grew up. Elaine appreciated beauty. She had a large and beautiful flower garden that she planted and maintained herself. She delighted in pointing out rainbows and beautiful sunsets. She loved vibrant colors and beautiful clothes. Elaine's priority was always to be a good mother and grandmother, a goal which she more than achieved. Her biggest smiles came when she held her children and then her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She and Jack took great care of Julie's kids, Scott and Elisa, when they were infants, toddlers, and then after school. They, too, developed a taste for grandma's best dinners. Scott and Elisa were fortunate to have been able to spend that time with their grandma and grandpa. Elaine loved animals and lavished attention on her black miniature poodles. Her last black poodle was her beloved Cheyenne, who now happily resides with Diane and her husband, Rob, in Loveland. Elaine took pride in her daughters' accomplishments as they grew. She was always her daughters' biggest supporter and the first to express outrage and sympathy at their disappointments. She was proud that one became a CPA and one became a lawyer. Elaine enjoyed her daughters' families and loved being a part of family celebrations. Elaine had a great sense of humor. She laughed easily at her own missteps and good naturedly made sure the rest of the family could not take themselves too seriously. Laughter remained a part of her life despite her illness. Elaine was strong to the end. Despite her pain, she was determined to do everything on her own that she could and to avoid being a burden to her daughters. She was consistently kind to the hospice workers who were so important in her final days. Elaine will be greatly missed. The family requests that memorials be made in Elaine's honor to The Denver Dumb Friends League, 2080 South Quebec Street, Denver 80231 or The Denver Hospice, 501 South Cherry Street suite 700, Denver 80246. Please share memories of Elaine with her family by visiting the Guestbook link below.