Lee Golding

Lee was born on May 10th, 1960 in Akron Ohio to parents Berta and Robert Koontz. She already had big sister Karen and big brother Bob to welcome her to the world, and welcome her they did. We were all so happy to have another sibling to love and we were overjoyed at her arrival. She was also blessed with a large number of cousins, grandparents and great-grandparents, and her beloved Mama, her maternal grandmother, who had a huge influence over her life and provided the ultimate role model of how to live life to the fullest. Imagine an even greater blessing (and surprise) when just a little over 1 year later, we also had a little brother, John, to make our family of 6 complete. Bob and Karen grew up together, and Lee and John were the second round of the Koontz kids. When our military family was transferred to Colorado in 1970, Karen had married and stayed behind in Ohio with her husband and child. Eventually, Karen and clan, which by then numbered 5, moved to Colorado, too. The sisters were reunited. Lee loved Colorado, the lifestyle, the mountains, and it was here that she also fell in love and married her husband, Mike Golding. She also loved his family, his mother Shirley, father Jerry, sisters Kathi, Patty and brother Bill. The feeling was mutual. They accepted her as their own. When her mother and father divorced, and both remarried, she had even more people who loved her, she had a stepfather, Harold Axmacher, and a step brother, Keith, as well as step mother, Marge, all of whom she embraced into the family. Most people who knew Lee quickly realized how bright and how special she was. She was capable of deep loyalties to those she cared about, and relationships were very important to her. She handled problems with humor and grace. She loved music, and always had a song on her lips, and in her heart. As a chronic pain sufferer, some days were not easy for her, but her music helped as did her close family ties. Her husband Mike was her rock. He always understood her limitations when pain interfered with their plans, and never pushed her beyond her capabilities, gently and lovingly encouraging her to take care of herself. Lee and Mike did not have children, but they made the very most of having each other. They also embraced their nieces and nephews on both sides of the family, and thought of them as their surrogate children. In the past eight years, their dog Norton was her constant companion, and he made their family complete. They traveled to Hawaii numerous times with sister Karen and her husband Steve. The four of them visited Maui, Kauai, The Big Island and even Tahiti, but her ultimate dream was to retire in Kona, where she felt most at home and at peace, and that is where her ashes will be taken and spread, at her request. Lee passed very unexpectedly. She was literally fine one day, sick the next, diagnosed with cancer 2 days after that and then died the second day after that. The whole process took only 5 days. We as her family choose to think of this as a blessing, she didn't have to suffer, and she didn't have to dwell on final arrangements or worry about all those who loved her so very much that she left behind. It was hard on us, but as easy on her as it could have possibly been. Thank you God for that. Her passing has left a great hole in our lives, but her memory will live forever in our hearts. She was only 48 years old, and we had all looked forward to many more years together. She was a vibrant force, she was our wife, sister, aunt, and friend, and she cherished each relationship. May you be in peace and be pain free, Lee. We love you.