Colleen passed away peacefully from natural causes at her home in Ithaca, NY on Sunday, July 25, 2021. Always the tomboy, Colleen spent her youth catching pretty much anything that moved -- snakes, frogs, birds, etc. She even dragged a dog home! She graduated in 1975 from the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy- Lauralton Hall High School. Colleen showed her artistic side at an early age, drawing cartoons on everything. After several starts and stops she combined her love and knowledge of plants with her artistic ability and graduated from Cornell University in 1994 with a degree in landscape architecture. She continued her education moving to California to pursue a master's degree in Landscape Architecture and City Planning at the University of California, Berkeley. She worked for the Oakland Housing Authority where she trained with the Livable Cities Initiative and worked to find suitable and affordable housing for those in need. She eventually moved back east first to Milford, CT then eventually to Ithaca, NY. In Ithaca, she reconnected with the many of the friends she made while attending Cornell. She worked for the Ithaca Housing Authority until her retirement in 2016. Colleen spent her free time creating artwork. She discovered a talent for printmaking and later delved into painting. The love of her life was her dog, Charlie. Colleen loved camping and spent her retirement traveling with her friends and her dog Charlie. Colleen had a big caring heart and was always there for her friends in good and bad times alike. She is predeceased by her mother Jean Williams Shelton, and her father George Andrew Shelton. She leaves to cherish her memory a brother, George, and a sister, Deirdre Green (Conrad), nieces Natalie (Brian), Arianna, and Brianna, and nephews Curtis and George. Colleen also leaves behind her many faithful friends in the Ithaca community. She will be greatly missed. A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday August 8th - 1:00 pm at 518 West Seneca St. Ithaca NY 14850 .In lieu of flowers please send donations to Loaves and Fishes - 210 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 https://loaves.org
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SERVICES Memorial Service
Sunday, August 08, 2021 1:00 PM
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