Cleo Lea Gregg

CLEO LEA GREGG Memorial services for Cortez resident, Cleo Lea Gregg will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 5, 2015 at the Lighthouse Baptist Church. Pastor Bruce Burkett will be officiating. Cleo Lea Kasal was born on February 1, 1955 in Durango, Colo. to Duane and Neoma Kasal. She grew up in Durango with her three siblings, Lyle, Duanne and Lois. She finished school at the age of 16 and went on to marry Steve Gregg on December 18, 1971. They chose this date to honor her parents who had the same wedding anniversary. Following their union, Cleo and Steve knew they would have children and Heather was the first, then Diedre four years later and Matthew another six. They established and raised their family in Durango. Cleo enjoyed many activities, from reading to water skiing, gardening to cycling all over Colorado. Cleo also loved walking. She would walk to the school to meet her kids and walk home with them. She also spent many evenings walking up the canyon behind their Durango home. Every weekend was spent at Navajo Lake from Memorial thru Labor Day weekend. Only now do we realize how much work she put into her families recreation, always having a ready supply of "toothpaste." "Toothpaste" to her kids was chocolate, peanut and marshmallow clusters that would scrape the fuzz off of your teeth in the morning before you went out on the water. We also knew that Cleo's favorite skiing conditions were first thing in the morning, coining the phrase of "The Cleo Ripple". When she wasn't walking us to school or training for the Ride the Rockies, she would spend hours in her garden and green house. She could raise a beautiful rainbow of flowers in the front yard and squash in the back. The green house was full of starts and blossoms, trees from the red wood forest and sick plants she would take in and nurse back to health. Cleo spent several years as a student of the bible after Matty was born. She attended Bible Study every week which lead to many whole family dinner table conversations. This was her opportunity to acquaint her kids with her Lord. She also enjoyed and was well versed in all things baseball and football. This was a passion she shared with her father. Grandpa Kasal even made a wood carving of her "boyfriend" and favorite player, Eddie McCaffrey. Cleo excelled in her career as a personal banker, helping the community of Durango with financial decisions. She carried this knowledge and expertise to her family, making sure to teach her kids how to balance their check book and be responsible with their money.Results may have varied. With her kids all grown and starting families of their own, she decided to move to Cortez to be closer to her mom, sister, daughter and grandchildren. Her wish was to be near, and an active part of their lives. Now being fully able to fulfill those goals, she joined her mother and father in heaven on January 28, 2015. Cleo leaves behind three children and their families, Heather, Ken, Kenna and Kyla Tarr, Diedre, Mike, Megan, and Grace Donovan, Matthew, Jessie, Jasson and Steve Gregg; siblings and their families, Lyle and Vicki Kasal, Duanne and Mike Ostrander, Lois and Tom Miller; in addition to many aunts, uncles and cousins. Memorial contributions can be made in Cleo's name at Vectra Bank to help fund a scholarship to benefit women's education.