Fidelia Valdez

Fidelia “Elsie” (Duran) Valdez was born on January 5, 1942, in Chacon, New Mexico. She was the eldest of three children born to Alfonso and Maxine Duran. She lived in New Mexico until the age of four, at which point her family relocated to Cheyenne, Wyoming. She attended Corlett Grade School and graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic High School.

In 1960, Elsie moved to Denver, Colorado to attend Central Business College. During that time, she met her future husband, Roberto Jaime “Jim” Valdez and they were married on September 15, 1962. She started her professional career working at Ephraim Trucking followed by a stint with the United States Postal Service. After staying at home for several years to raise her children, Elsie went back into the workforce spending 20+ years in banking and insurance at United Bank of Denver, Norwest Bank and Wells Fargo until her retirement in 1997.

An avid reader who volunteered many years with the Junior Great Books Program, Elsie loved music and travel. Her motto “have suitcase, will travel” took her to six continents. After her retirement, Elsie volunteered her time working for several non-profit organizations, including distributing food boxes for Share Colorado, preparing taxes at the Barnum Rec Center, serving on the steering committee at Doull Elementary School, and grading papers at Notre Dame Catholic School.

Elsie is survived by her husband of almost 60 years, Jim Valdez, her sister Steffy Coleman and brother Willie (Ann) Duran, sisters-in-law Ida Stifter and Lillian Valdez, and her four children Roberta (Ken) Sladovnik, James Paul (Ilise), David (Julie), and Dennis (Cassie) Valdez. She is also survived by her eight grandchildren: Ben, Madeline, Andie, Claire, Oliver, Amelia, Oscar, and Juliana, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be Thursday, November 18, 2021 from 4:30pm-6;30pm, Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 3101 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood.  On Friday, November 19, 2021, a Recitation of the Rosary will be at 9:30 am with a Mass of Christian Burial offered at 10:30 am, both at Notre Dame Catholic Church, 2190 South Sheridan Blvd, Denver. She will be buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate in her memory. Three of her favorite causes were American Institute for Cancer Research https://www.aicr.org/support/ ,Catholic Charities of Denver https://ccdenver.org/ways-to-give/ and Colorado Children’s Chorale https://www.childrenschorale.org/ , or you may give to a charity of your choice.