Forehand Leslie

Leslie Hays Forehand, of Longmont, passed away February 16, 2012 after a heroic battle with ovarian cancer. Her outlook and positive spirit even when faced with a terminal illness was a testament to her courage and fortitude. She was 64.Leslie was born on December 1, 1947 in Evanston, Illinois to George R Hays and Ruth G (Offner) Hays. She moved to Geneva, Illinois as an infant and grew up there until the 2nd grade, when she moved with her family to St. Louis, Missouri. After graduating from Webster Groves High School in St. Louis, Leslie attended Drury University in Springfield, MO for two years and then spent two years at Drake University in Des Moines, IA where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business. After taking summer courses at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the summer of 1968, Leslie moved permanently to Boulder during the fall of 1969. She worked at Aber’s Music City in Boulder, and then moved to Denver for two years where she worked for an insurance company during the day, and held an evening job at the Denver Dry Goods. Through the encouragement of her Aunt Lenore, she joined the Colorado Mountain Club in 1969 where she grew to love the Colorado Rockies even more, and on a hike in the Fall of 1971 met Ron Forehand – a fellow Mountain Club member and hiker. Leslie and Ron were married in 1972, moved to Broomfield, Colorado and then eventually to Longmont. Leslie and Ron welcomed a son, Ryan in 1973, and a daughter Kimberly in 1975, and moved to Southmoor Park in Longmont where the children were raised through high school. Because Ron was working a full time job during the day and attending school at night, Leslie joined the Longmont Newcomers club and a babysitting co-op in the neighborhood. Southmoor Park proved to be a wonderful neighborhood for families and many lifelong friendships were formed for not only the children, but for Ron and Leslie as well.In 1984, Leslie went back to school to pursue a master’s degree, and graduated in 1985 from the University of Denver with a Master’s degree in Library Science. She began volunteer work at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder in 1985 and was hired by NCAR in 1986 where she worked for 25 years. While at NCAR, She was Head of Public Services, and the face of the NCAR Library at Foothills, and thoroughly enjoyed the people she worked with and the many people from around the world she was able to meet through her work in the library. In 2010, Leslie was part of a team that received the prestigious NCAR Administrative Achievement Award. A memorial is planned for the NCAR Library, where Leslie spent 25 years of her professional career.Leslie will be remembered for her loving, thoughtful, generous nature, and for her love for her children, grandchildren, family and friends. She was a master of the art of crafting – quilting, sewing, and knitting, and produced countless works of art for family and friends. It was a passion and a pleasure for Leslie to create amazing quilts for baby showers, warm and soft sweaters for grandchildren, and other priceless, handmade items for friends and family. She had a true love for Colorado, hiking, the outdoors, and of Motown music. She cherished time with her children and grandchildren, family and friends.Leslie was preceded in death by her parents, and her former husband Ron. She is survived by her son Ryan (Jennifer) of Longmont and their three children, Liam, Kai and Meade, daughter Kimberly (Brent) of Cary, North Carolina and their son Brayden, three sisters, Sally (Tom) Tulk of Denver, Barb Sprung of Chicago, Ill, Marilyn (Kent) Wilton of St Louis, MO, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and many friends.A celebration of Leslie’s life will be held on Thursday, February 23rd at 11:00 am at Life bridge Christian church, 10345 Ute Highway (Highway 66) in Longmont. A private family burial service at Foothills Garden of Memory will follow. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Leslie’s name to HospiceCare of Boulder and Broomfield Counties.Arrangements for Leslie are under the direction of Carroll-Lewellen Funeral services. Visit www.carroll-lewellen.com to share condolences. Service Information A service summary is not available