- Date Of Birth: November 4, 1928
- Date Of Death: November 30, 2020
- State: Colorado
Gloria Shepard went to be with The Lord on Monday, 11/30/2020 in Castle Rock Colorado where she had lived for a short time. Gloria or Mimi, as she liked to be called, was 92 years old. She was born Gloria Nielsen in Queens, NY in 1928. Her father was Ludwig Nielsen and mother was Fannie Johnson, both Danish immigrants. Mimi had an older sister named Helen Andreasen. Fannie passed when Gloria was about 12 years old. Ludwig later married Camilla Tonnessen of Lillesand, Norway.
In the winter of 1947 Gloria’s father Ludwig, moved his family from NY, to a little known mining town in Colorado, called Aspen.
Gloria learned to ski and in 1949 she met Morris Shepard, a former WWII Naval Aviator, who came to Aspen for a few weeks but ended up staying and working as a ski patrolman and later as a ski instructor. Gloria and Morrie were married and she gave birth to three children, (Morrie Jr., Linda and Amy) before the family moved to Vail in 1962. Morrie Sr. grew up with Peter Siebert in MA and Peter got the Shepards involved in the development of Vail. Morrie was the Ski School Director and fire chief and Gloria managed the Gondola Boutique at the base of the mountain.
Gloria and Morrie Sr. parted company in 1965 and she moved with her children to Denver where she managed the Gondola Boutique in Denver’s up and coming Larimer Square district. Gloria missed her sister in NY so she moved with her children to Long Island in 1967. She took the Long Island Railroad into New York City for many years to work as an assistant to the CEO of Avon Products. In 1979 the mountains of Colorado called her back again, this time to Steamboat Springs. She left Steamboat for several years to care for her ailing father but she lived in Routt County for the latter part of her life. She operated a pet care business until she retired
Mimi loved Colorado, the mountains, and camping. When she lived in Colorado Springs, she would venture to Pikes Peak to watch the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, often camping in her VW Westphalia camper, half way up the race course. She enjoyed skiing, world travel, spicy Mexican food, long drives, ice cream, fine wine, animals and most of all, her family, including 3 children and 5 grand-children and 3 great grand-children!
In Mimi’s final years she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. She had a wonderful long term memory and a great sense of humor right till the end. She is dearly missed by the people who were blessed to know her. Mimi was preceded in death by her mother Fannie Johnson, father Ludwig Nielsen, Step mother Camilla Tonnesen and sister Helen Andreasen. Her survivors include her children, Morris Shepard III of Parker, CO, Linda Shepard of Saint Urcisse, France and Amy West of Clark, CO and her husband Russ. Her cherished grand-children are Ludwig Garric of Lima Peru, Jennifer Garric of Saint Urcisse, France, Keith West of Hayden, CO, McKenzie Shepard of Firestone CO and Meredith Shepard of Parker, CO. Mimi’s great grand-children are: Joe Garric, Saint Urcisse, France, Felix Garric of Saint Urcisse, France and Victoria Garric of Lima Peru. Mimi also has a nephew Gary Andreasen of Navarre, FL and niece Jeanne Andresen Connell of White Salmon, WA.
Morrie Shepard
