Constance Durst Stickley

“Connie”Constance Durst Stickley was born September 17, 1933 in Keyser, West Virginia to Alpheus Gordon Durst and Laura Edna June Cookson Durst. She was the third of five children. Her brothers were Al, Stuart and Mike and her sister was Barbara.Mom graduated from Keyser High School in 1951, then went to Potomac State College. In her sophomore year there, she was Queen of Winter. She then attended West Virginia University. She graduated in 1955 with a BA in Secondary Education.On April 7, 1951 she married Darlton (Bud ) Stickley in Winchester, Virginia; later divorced.After spending most of her life as a homemaker and full time mom, she went to work for Dr. Eric Anderson for 18 years. She felt as though she were part of the family there. She finally retired in 2002.Mom loved college football. And while always a Mountaineer, after moving to Utah, she became a Ute. And after her son graduated from, “The U” in 1982, she became the consummate tailgater. Mom lived for Saturday afternoons in the tailgate lot, and her ladies football class. This was a big part of her life for more than 20 years until problems related to age limited her ability to attend the games in person. But this didn’t dampen her spirit. She never missed a game on TV.It was in the tailgate lot that, “Connie’s Chili” became famous. Over the years this chili fed more Ute tailgaters than Johnsonville Brats!She was, “Grandma Connie” to a lot more than her own two grandchildren. Mom had a large circle of friends, and enjoyed spending time with their families as the children grew up.
Mom beat cancer once as a younger woman, but not this time. She lost a short battle with cancer on the morning of Sunday, January 20, 2013.She is survived by her son, Jeffrey (Debbie) Stickley, and her grandchildren, Meagan and Daniel Stickley, all of Murray, Utah, her sister, Barbara (Arthur) Shaffer of Vermillion, Ohio and six nieces and nephews.The family would like to thank the staff of Harmony Hospice, especially Shannon and Jamie, and the staff of Canyon Creek Assisted Living for their care and concern. We could not have gotten through this without you.
Per mom’s wishes, there will be no service or viewing. Her cremains will be placed at the Murray City Cemetery later this year.In lieu of flowers, mom would like people to make a donation to the Huntsman Cancer Center at The University of Utah. To donate online, please click here.