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Katie Stapleton Obituary

Stapleton
KATIE STAPLETON October 28, 2019
Katie Stapleton, longtime Denver activist, former broadcast journalist on KOA radio, and author of numerous cookbooks passed away peacefully on October 28, 2019 at the age of 100 years.
Born in Kansas City Missouri in 1919, Katie was the daughter of William Hall and Katharine Foster, known to all as Mimi. Katie graduated from the Barstow School and Vassar College. In 1942 she married Benjamin Franklin Stapleton Jr. from Denver. They enjoyed 51 years of marriage until his passing in 1993.
Katie contributed to the city of Denver and the Sate of Colorado from 1947, beginning with the Denver Community Chest (now the United Fund). She worked as a volunteer tirelessly for over seventy years, committed to citizen involvement. Katie chaired organizations that included Community Chest, Crippled Children's Aid Fund, Ladies of the Rotary, the National and local YWCA, USO, Traveler's Aid, Garland Country Day School, American Field Service, Denver Centennial Authority, People to People, Colorado Women's College, American Diabetes Association, Arthritis Association of the Rocky Mountains, the Denver Zoo, and the Alliance Francaise. She co-chaired Colorado Citizens for Adlai Stevenson in 1956 as well as Colorado Citizens for Kennedy from 1958-1960. She was the Honorary Chairman for Planned Parenthood's campaign in 2006.
One of Katie's proudest achievements was co-founding the Denver Debutante Ball in 1955. She was the first Charwoman of the Ball that raised over four million dollars for the Colorado Symphony during her 60 year involvement. She is listed as Who's Who of America, Who's Who of the West, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who of Community Leaders and Who's Who of Worlds' Women.
Her surviving family are her children Benjamin Stapleton III, Craig Roberts Stapleton, and Katharine Hall Stapleton, her six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Garland County Day School or the Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Published by The Gazette on Nov. 3, 2019.
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Memories and Condolences
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5 Entries

Katie was indeed the "grand dame de l'ancienne ecole" for the city of Denver, and for her dear family friends and collaborators. She was the epitome of elegance, grace and most assuredly generosity of spirit as well as helping so many worthy charities. She is sorely missed and will be as long as there is a "Denver".

D.M. Damjanovic

Friend

November 22, 2019

A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, December 2nd at 3pm at Balfour at Riverfront Park in downtown Denver. The address is 1500 Little Raven Street. Please join us and share memories of Katie.

Shane Christian

Friend

November 16, 2019

It was an honor to have met her when she hosted the Colorado Barstow reunion/get together several years ago and to share graduating from the same school as she. I wish I had had the opportunity to have known her better...

June Pettegrew Schiff

November 6, 2019

My family and I had the pleasure of getting to know Katie through Patrick Coulson. My in-laws, Betsy and Wally McMeel, were life-long friends of Patrick's and quickly became friends with Katie as well. She was always so kind and generous to all of us, especially my two children, whom she loved talking with and often invited to swim in her pool. I have so much respect for all that Katie achieved and appreciated about life, she definitely lived it to the fullest, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have known her. She was one of a kind and the consummate hostess, always making us feel warmly welcomed. Please accept our deepest condolences on your family's loss.

Sharon McMeel

November 5, 2019

Shane Christian

November 4, 2019

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