Obituary of Constance Voorhees

Constance “Connie” Eulalia Voorhees (née Lauderdale) gracefully concluded 101 remarkable years on Christmas Eve, 2024, in Denver, Colorado, passing away peacefully in her sleep, and surrounded by family. She left this world with the same quiet elegance and good humor that defined her life.

Born April 17, 1923, in Moberly, Missouri, to Hazel (née Hardaway) and Ira Lauderdale, Connie’s early years were filled with movement and activity. At age eight her family relocated to Carthage, MO, where she discovered a love for ballet, participated in track & field events, and became the proud leader and baton twirler of her high school’s state champion marching band. A few years later, life took another turn when the family moved to Grinnell, Iowa, and Connie attended Grinnell College. It was there, at a freshman orientation dance in 1941, that she met the love of her life, Koert Voorhees. They married in 1944 in a quaint chapel at a U.S. Naval facility in Plattsburgh, NY, on the same day Koert graduated from Midshipmen’s School as a naval officer. The war provided an unexpected honeymoon—a three-month stay at Miami’s luxurious Fontainebleau Hotel, courtesy of the U.S. Navy, while Koert trained in anti-submarine warfare. Soon after, he shipped off to the Pacific Theater, serving aboard destroyers and rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, while Connie supported the war effort from home.

After the war, Koert and Connie pursued further education at the University of Texas in Austin, where they welcomed their first child, Beth, in 1947. Soon after, they moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take over Koert’s father’s grain-elevator manufacturing business. It wasn’t long before the Navy called Koert back to duty during the Korean War, on a larger ship. This led to a brief stint in Norfolk, VA, where their son, Jacques, was born in 1951. Returning to Cedar Falls, they built their long-term family home in the vibrant Winter Ridge neighborhood -  famous (at least with the neighbors) for its backyard ski hill, complete with a tractor-powered rope tow.

Skiing became a lifelong passion for the Voorhees clan, with many winter days spent mastering the slope just steps from their back door. Daughter Catherine Sue (“Casi”) was born in 1959 and—not surprisingly—soon became a skier too. During this time, Connie and Koert were also heavily involved with the United World Federalists, a group that sought global peace through strengthening the UN. On one occasion, Trygve Lie, the first Secretary General of the United Nations, came to Cedar Falls to deliver a speech at (today’s) University of Northern Iowa. Connie and Koert were charged with meeting him at the airport. Mr. Lie wanted to learn about the area, so they gave him a car tour of Cedar Falls — having this global leader all to themselves for half a day.

Despite an ever-expanding household that included their own children, niece Connie Lee, nephew Dick, and a spirited Venezuelan exchange student, Daniella (“Dani”) Salvadori, the Voorhees family embarked on a bold new adventure in 1963—moving to the tiny Swiss mountain village of Blonay, overlooking Lake Geneva. There, Connie and Koert enrolled their English-speaking children in the local French-speaking school. The kids may have been puzzled at first, but by the end of their year abroad, most everyone had mastered the language. Side trips to Italy, Spain, and Germany soon became part of their routine, and skiing in St. Moritz, Verbier, and Davos replaced the backyard hill.

Returning to America, the entrepreneurial spirit struck again when Koert and Connie became lead investors in the founding of Keystone Ski Resort in Colorado. This investment eventually brought them to the Rocky Mountains permanently, but before then they migrated once more to Austin, where they settled on the shores of Lake Travis. In a largely rural area with limited services, they noticed one thing conspicuously missing: a fire department. So they founded one, also becoming EMTs and later EMT instructors.

Connie’s adaptability and resourcefulness shone further when she and Koert joined their son Jacques' online diamond-trading business, Polygon, in New York City. Though she had once vowed never to go into sales, Connie became the company’s top salesperson. After all, who could say no to her charm? Example: When a prospective customer teasingly asked if she was the glamorous model from a long-running trade-publication ad, Connie didn’t miss a beat. 'I most certainly am!' she quipped, leaving the soon-to-be customer both unsure and laughing.

After a year in the Big Apple, the company relocated to Keystone, Colorado, where the family’s love of skiing and mountains came full circle. Whether racing down the slopes of Keystone, or playing with kangaroos during their many extended visits to Australia to see daughter Beth and her husband, Mike, now living in Melbourne, Connie’s adventurous spirit never waned. She embraced life with kindness, humor, and an endless love for family.

In later years, Connie and Koert settled into a quieter pace at Brookdale senior living facility in Denver—an easy drive for family in Summit County and conveniently close to Denver Airport for Beth and Mike's frequent visits.

Connie is survived by her devoted husband of eighty years, Koert (also 101), their three children —Beth, Jacques, and Casi—along with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Connie’s legacy is one of boundless love, unwavering optimism, compassion for everyone she met, and a life—her children say—almost perfectly-lived. Her laughter, wisdom, and adventurous spirit will forever echo in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.