Iona Florence Strobeck

Iona Florence (McLean) Strobeck was born on December 10, 1927 in Sterling, Colorado to Perry McLean and Dorothy Green McLean. She was the oldest of two sisters and three brothers. Her parents moved to Denver during her teen years, where she graduated from West High School. After graduating from High School, Iona became a model at Daniels and Fisher's department store and took a job as a secretary at an insurance company in downtown Denver. In the late 1940's, the beautiful Iona was set up on a blind date by her cousin with handsome Earl Strobeck, also a graduate of West High School. On their first double date with her cousin and a friend, they went ice skating on the lake in Evergreen, where Iona promptly fell and broke her arm. Iona was a popular girl who was dating someone else at the time, so Earl eventually faded. But when Iona couldn't escape the memory of his charm, kindness and bright blue eyes, she decided to pursue him. She and her cousin drove by his house and put a note under his windshield wiper telling him she hadn't seen him in a while and asking him to give her a call. She was still not an easy catch though, and eventually declined his first two marriage proposals. She smartly accepted his third proposal, and Earl always joked that he wasn't going to ask her again. Iona and Earl were married on September 16, 1950 at University Park Methodist Church near Denver University and immediately moved into their first new home – a $9000 bungalow in west Denver. With Earl in a stable career at Lincoln-Mercury's Denver District office, and Iona a secretary at a downtown Denver insurance company, they were off and running, beginning a wonderful life together that lasted over 61 years. In 1953, they welcomed their first child, daughter Louette, into their lives, and she quickly became the apple of her parents' eye, looking just like her mother. Iona left her career to become a stay-at-home mom, and so began their idyllic life in the suburbs in the 1950's. They moved into a new suburban home in southeast Denver in 1956, the same year Gordon was born – a toe-headed boy with his father's bright blue eyes. The family was very involved in school activities, sports, music and their church, when they got what they often referred to as a surprise ""bundle of Joy"" in 1964. Adorable Gwen (blond and blue-eyed like her dad) lit up their lives and delightfully changed the family forever. Since Earl retired at the early age of 56, he and Iona were free to begin many years of travel adventures together all over the world. They enjoyed playing poker and attending Bronco games for years with friends and spending time at their cabin in Bailey. They also loved watching their children grow up, marry wonderful spouses, and succeed in life. Iona adored her three grandchildren, Gordon's son Joshua Strobeck, 24, and Gwen's children, Claire Colgrove, 23, and Chad Colgrove, 17. Iona suffered from dementia that progressively got worse over the last several years. After Earl died suddenly in April 2012, and it was clear she couldn't stay in their home by herself, Gwen asked Iona to move to Boise and live near her home. Iona spent the last 4-1/2 years in Boise, first in a lovely assisted living facility, and finally in a caring Memory Care Center minutes away from Gwen. Her penchant for breaking bones as she did on her first date with Earl continued, as every year she seemed to fall and break something – her tail bone, a rib, her hip, and even a few vertebrae. She would always rebound after her injuries. On January 23, 2017, she was found once again on the floor of her room, this time breaking both bones in her left wrist, her pelvis, and her sacrum. These breaks proved to be too extensive for her to bare, even after a lengthy surgery. She was brought back to her room at the Memory Care Center under hospice care, where she lived another two weeks before quietly passing over to be with her beloved Earl. Her Funeral Service will be held at 11:00am on Friday, March 24, 2017 at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 5303 East County Line Road (one block to the west of South Holly Street) in Centennial, Colorado. A Service will follow at Fort Logan National Cemetery, 3698 South Sheridan Boulevard, in Denver, Colorado. Donations can be made in memory of Iona to the Dementia Society of America, PO Box 600, Doylestown, PA 18901, www.dementiasociety.org/Iona-Strobeck. Please share memories of Iona and condolences with her family by signing the guestbook below.