Lisbeth Eko Champagne

Lisbeth Eko Champagne LONGMONT, Colo. — Lisbeth Sandra Eko Champagne, age 78, of Longmont, Colorado, passed away Jan. 15, 2022, due to complications with COPD. Born Nov. 23, 1943, in Springfield, Vermont, Lisbeth was a true New Englander and loved the changing seasons, especially autumn. Upon graduation from Springfield High School, Lisbeth attended business school in Boston which led her to a successful career as a senior systems analyst manager for BlueCross BlueShield in Chicago. Settling in Chicago, Lis made many friends, became a lifelong Bears fan and attended the Indianapolis 500 multiple times. She led an active life after retirement, first soaking up the sun and reveling in Southwestern culture in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. In 2001, she moved to Longmont, Colorado, to be with family, where she worked at Dillards. Lisbeth delighted in watching her four nieces grow up, Kaarina Demers, Kristi Bathgate (Jason Bathgate), Melissa Guglielmo (Anthony Guglielmo) and Alison Eko (Todd Thurston). Lisbeth’s greatest joys came in the form of her great-nieces, Maya Demers and Isabella Guglielmo; and great-nephews, Joe and David Demers and Quinn Bathgate. Her memory is also cherished by her dearest friends, the Markiewicz family, and adopted niece, Becky Ballesteros. A talented and avid cook, she dedicated many hours passing down her recipes to her great-niece, Maya. She was very proud to attend her great-nephew David’s Navy Bootcamp Graduation at Great Lakes, Illinois. Lisbeth was also a devoted follower of her nephew Quinn’s journey to become an Eagle Scout and Black Belt. She supported The Colorado Special Olympics, where her special boy, Ian Markiewicz, was a medaled Olympian, and other organizations that celebrate people with disabilities. Lis loved fashion, shopping and spending time with her best friend, Julie Markiewicz. She travelled extensively for both work and pleasure, the last being to Brazil and Fiji, where she ushered in the new millennium with her girlfriends. While she was well-travelled, her favorite trips by far were the weeks she spent on Cape Cod in the summers laughing and reminiscing with her siblings, Judy and Jim and their families. She maintained a wonderful collection of lighthouses and kept all things from the sea close to her heart. When she was not prepping and planning in the kitchen, she could be found reading the newspaper or mystery novels with her dogs curled up around her lap or feet. In her final year, Lisbeth wanted the public to know “tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and early death in the U.S. The most effective strategy for reducing tobacco use is through public health policy. The greatest barrier to enacting effective public policy is tobacco industry interference.” (ash.org). Lisbeth was preceded in death by her parents, Wilho and Lillian Eko; and her brother, Charles Eko. She leaves behind her siblings, Jim Eko, of Springfield, Vermont, and Judy Demers and her husband, Roger Demers, of Grafton, Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, kindly make a donation to The Colorado Special Olympics.