Eva Gudrun Fossum

Eva Gudrun "Eva the Diva" Fossum, maiden name Fossum, passed away on October 9, 2026, in Englewood, Colorado, at the age of 89.

Born on October 15, 1936, in Lansing, Michigan, Eva brought a bright and unmistakable presence into the world from the very beginning. Those who knew her remember a woman whose light seemed to shine whenever she was out and about. At her favorite places, people greeted her by name, a reflection of the impression she made simply by being herself.

Eva was happy, quick-witted, and full of humor. She loved to tell jokes, and her clever comebacks and funny sayings were part of her everyday nature. She often joked about her tiny frame with lines such as, "If I stood sideways and stuck my tongue out, I would look like a zipper", and "I am so flat, when I put my bra on backwards, it fit!" She also left those around her laughing with sayings like, "If you can't be good, be good at it", and "Do unto others, then run like hell." Her sense of humor was one of the clearest ways she connected with the world and with the people around her.

She loved music, dancing, laughing, being silly, and enjoying life. She also loved shopping- especially for clothes and jewelry- and that love showed in the care she took with her appearance. Eva very seldom left the house without makeup, jewelry, and everything carefully matched. She loved to wear pins, and her style was always put together with precision and flair. She was known for being fun, happy, and beautiful, with a strong personal sense of style that was entirely her own.

Her home reflected that same eye for detail. Eva loved decorating with trinkets and was very particular about where each one belonged. She kept a very neat house and had a wonderful gift for interior decorating. Visits to her home came with a running family joke: someone might move an item or turn it a different way, only for Eva to call and say, “You guys better knock it off. Stop touching my things!” It became one of those memories that brought laughter, and by all accounts, she secretly liked the game.

Eva also enjoyed a gin and tonic, Mary Jane, and, as those close to her would surely say, shopping again. She embraced the pleasures that made her happy and did so with unmistakable enthusiasm. Her love of life was present in the way she laughed, the way she dressed, the way she decorated, and the way she made ordinary moments memorable.

Music held a special place in her life. Eva loved George Strait, and on rides she listened to Garth Brooks and George Strait, often ending with the song “Write This Down.” That song became especially meaningful at the end of her life. It was played while sitting beside her, and when Eva took her last breath, “Write This Down” came to its end as well. The lyrics remain closely tied to her memory: “Write this down, take a little note, to remind you in case you didn’t know, tell yourself I love you and I don’t want you to go… So you’ll remember what I forgot to say, write this down.” For those who shared that moment, the song now stands as part of the way Eva is remembered.

Eva is survived by her sister, Nancy Fossum; her daughters, Diana & Drew Zimmerman and Dawn Pipkin-Montgomery & Marty Montgomery; her son, Mark Nelson; her niece, Anna & Jack Gerblick; her granddaughter, Nicole Terry; her grandsons, Jordan Nelson, Taylor Nelson, and Randall Pipkin Josh Montgomery; and seven great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Lenora Eyestone; her stepfather, Dale Eyestone; her father, Alvin Fossum; her sister, Anita Fossum; her niece, Patricia Berek; and her nephew, James Innis.

Eva leaves behind memories filled with laughter, music, style, and sayings that are not easily forgotten. She had a way of making people smile and of turning everyday conversation into something memorable with humor and personality. Whether singing, dancing, joking, shopping, arranging her treasured things just so, or heading out looking perfectly put together, she did it in a way that was distinctly Eva.

Her memory lives on in the stories, songs, laughter, and lines that still echo: “See ya later Alligator, After awhile Crocodile, See ya soon Baboon!”

Give it up for Eva G!

Special Thanks to her caregivers at Lighthouse Assisted Living. You are amazing and she loved you all.