Reta Mildred Warner

Reta M. Warner, 93, of Colorado, passed away on October 21, 2026, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of family, creativity, determination, and a life filled with experiences, accomplishments, and love.

Born on November 7, 1932, in Brighton, Colorado, to Harry and Florence Phillips, Reta spent her childhood in Brighton. 2 weeks shy of 94 years, she called many places home, including Westminster, Denver, Arvada, Lakewood, Broomfield, and Aurora, Colorado, as well as Arizona and Tennessee. Wherever life took her, she carried with her an adventurous spirit, a creative mind, and a willingness to embrace something new.

Reta was married twice. Children from her marriage to Cliff were William, Carl, Sharon, Elizabeth, and Phyllis. Her children from her marriage to Bill were Christine and Wendy.

Her family continued to grow through generations. Her descendants include: 8 Grandchildren, 16 Great-Grandchildren, 14 Great-Great Grandchildren, & 1 Great-Great-Great Grandchild.

Reta was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Florence Phillips; her brother, Bill, who passed away at birth; and her children Bill, Sharon, and Phyllis, along with Scott and Jody.

Throughout her life, Reta held many jobs, but two careers stood out among the rest. She spent 12 years with Tri-Chem as a sales and training consultant, where her talent, dedication, and enthusiasm earned her numerous awards for top sales and outstanding training. She would retire after 13 years working as a cashier at Walmart, bringing her years of experience and strong work ethic to yet another chapter of her life.

But perhaps one of Reta's greatest gifts was her creativity. She was never afraid to try something new, especially if it allowed her imagination to flourish. Her artistic journey began with Tri-Chem liquid art and continued through ceramics, where she earned first-place honors in craft show competitions. She also enjoyed knitting and crocheting, always finding something to keep her hands busy and her creative spirit alive.

Her ultimate passion, however, became diamond dot art. With patience, dedication, and an incredible eye for detail, Reta created at least 100 beautiful pictures for family, friends, and craft shows. Each creation was a small piece of herself, lovingly made and shared with others. Her artwork will remain a treasured reminder of the woman who found such joy in creating something beautiful. An online catalog will become available for requests of her remaining pictures.

Reta was a woman of many wonderful qualities. She was funny, feisty, fiercely independent, outspoken, stubborn, and incredibly generous. She had a mind of her own, wasn't afraid to speak it, and approached life with a determination that was uniquely hers. Those who knew her understood that beneath her strong-willed exterior was a woman with an enormous heart.

Friendship meant something special to Reta. She was a fiercely loyal friend, the kind of person who stood by those she cared about through life's ups and downs. Even while facing significant health challenges of her own, she maintained a remarkable sense of positivity. Friends often described her as one of the most positive and funny people they had ever known, especially considering everything she had endured.

Reta's strength wasn't simply in overcoming life's difficulties, but in her ability to face them with humor, and resilience. She reminded those around her that while we cannot always control what life brings us, we can choose how we meet it.

She could be stubborn, she could make you laugh, and she certainly wasn't afraid to tell you exactly what she thought. But above all, she was genuine, loyal, loving, and unapologetically herself. And that is exactly how she will be remembered.

Reta had a passport and dreams of traveling beyond the United States. Although she never had the opportunity to collect that first passport stamp, her life was filled with journeys of a different kind—through the places she lived, the people she loved, the careers she pursued, and the countless creative adventures she embraced.

One of Reta's final wishes was to give something back to the Colorado mountains she called home. She wanted to replenish the mountains by planting a tree, allowing something beautiful and lasting to grow in her memory.

In keeping with that wish, Reta will be laid to rest in a biodegradable urn with an evergreen tree planted above her resting place.

Just as she spent her life creating beauty with her hands, Reta's final gift will be something beautiful created by nature—a living tree, reaching toward the sky, rooted in the mountains, and growing for generations to come.

Her memory will live on in the family she raised, the generations who follow, the artwork she lovingly created, and the evergreen tree that will stand as a lasting tribute to a life well lived.