Constance Joyce (Flynn) Stickling

Constance Joyce Stickling

(September 18, 1938 - October 10, 2020)

Connie Stickling, 82, of Golden, CO, passed away peacefully Saturday evening, October 10, Golden Pond Assisted Living Community after a courageous battle with cancer. Constance Joyce Flynn was born September 18, 1938 in Escanaba, MI, the daughter of David and Esther (Belfry) Flynn. She lived on the family farm outside Harris, MI. Later they moved to the Victoria Hotel in Munising, MI. Connie graduated from William G. Mather High School in 1956. After working at the local paper mill for two years, she attended Michigan Technological University in Houghton, MI, where she studied mathematics and chemistry.

On September 17, 1960, Connie married Robert (Bob) Stickling of Chicago, IL. They moved to Los Angeles, CA, where Connie worked as a computer programmer for Rocketdyne, the maker of the Saturn V rocket that took the Apollo capsules to the moon. In 1963, Connie resigned in order to be mother to her three children. In 1968, they moved to Andalusia, IL, where she volunteered at school and ran the CCD education for St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. In 1977, they moved to a farm outside Spragueville, IA. In 1979, Connie took a job as the City Clerk of Preston, IA, where again she was called upon to use her vast computer knowledge. In 1990, she and Robert divorced, and Connie moved to Rochester, MN. She continued her computer science career while in Rochester by working for IBM as an assistant instructor, finishing her bachelor’s degree in computer science at Winona State University, and finally working for the Mayo Clinic (1991-2004). At the Mayo Clinic she worked on the team that built a database that united surgical data for several major hospital programs. She retired in 2004 to Colorado to spend time with her grandchildren. In Colorado she lived in Westminster, Superior, and Golden. She volunteered at her grandchildren’s school, helped with the summer reading program, and helped the school librarians with their computer system.

She is survived by her daughters Margaret (James) Austin of Superior, CO; Patricia (Jeffrey) Seinwill, of Barboursville, VA; David (Susan) Stickling of Golden, CO; four grandchildren Brody and Lily Austin; Henry and Maya Stickling; three sisters Nancy Morrison of Rochester, MN, Molly (Robert) Zalanskas of Munising, MI, and Colleen Cyrus of Rockford, IL; two brothers Daniel (Kristin) Flynn of Munising, MI, and Timothy (Gail) Flynn of Moline, IL; a brother-in-law Carmen DelBoccio of Wheeling, IL, and many nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her sisters Patricia LaFleur, Geraldine DelBoccio, and Penelope Sims, and brothers-in law James LaFleur, Ron Sims, and Jeff Cyrus.

A private ceremony for the immediate family was held on October 16, 2020 and a virtual Service/Memorial will be scheduled at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Lung Association or the National Wildlife Federation.