Janet Sue McCaffrey McIntosh

Janet Sue McCaffrey Shipman McIntosh born June 10, 1948 in Alva, Oklahoma joined her Savior in the high places and regained her voice to sing His praises on Monday, January 8, 2018 at 2:47PM in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Janet Sue McCaffrey Shipman McIntosh born June 10, 1948 in Alva, Oklahoma to Francis and Bernice McCaffrey. She was the third daughter born into a family that would ultimately reach the count of 7 children; 6 girls and 1 boy. Older sister Lorraine was ferociously protective of Janet when she was born. Janet's name means Gift from God and Sue means graceful lily. Janet started her life as a gift of God to her older sister. Looking back on Janet's life there are not enough words or pages to fill with the times she lived up to her name. As one of the oldest children Janet often helped her parents in the care of her siblings. So much so, when she became a grandmother, she was pretty much done changing diapers, she had changed plenty in her lifetime. She once shared, she preferred her daughters to have longer hair because growing up, with all those girls in the house, it was easier if they all had short hair. Janet was a spirited, independent and adventurous young girl. In preparing for Janet's 50th birthday party, a couple of clever sleuths disguised as granddaughters began to play 20 questions with Grandmama. Questions about her first kiss, learning to drive, and skipping school revealed answers that would be quite entertaining for her family. Kisses in bushes. Donuts in parking lots. Walking into school and walking right out the back door, and across town to the store. Ending up with blisters on her feet were punishment enough and she never skipped school again. As a teenager, Janet's first job was working for the Science Education Center in Wichita, KS. She graduated from West High School in Wichita, KS. She married shortly after graduating and in the following years Michelle, Heather and Jeffrey would be born.Throughout the years, Janet would share her love for adventure with her children whether they were willingly participants or not. It did not take long for "I know a shortcut" to be met with protests. One particular time, Janet wanted to shorten the 30 minute drive to the library and for the next 2 hours in the car Janet kept saying, "We are not lost, we are on an adventure!" Janet never got lost, she went on adventures. Since she ultimately ended up where she was heading, her enthusiasm for short cuts never ceased. Technology and GPS did not temper her enthusiasm to provide navigation recommendations. When taking grandson, Stephen to a tournament out of state she insisted the car was on the correct road for hours as the GPS kept stating "recalculating destination" much to her Stephen's horror. In her credit, the car was going in the correct direction just a little too far south. To her great joy Stephen made it just in time to not miss the start of the tournament. Going home, with much laughter, Janet refrained from providing any more assistance to the GPS. Janet loved to be outdoors. She loved to take walks. She often did not disclose the plan when she invited someone to join her on a walk. It was not uncommon for her walks to begin before dawn and require a drive early enough so sunrise could be enjoyed. If a grandchild became tired she offered rest and sanctuary in a tree until she returned on the way back to the car. If it was cold day, she simply said, "Walk faster and you will warm up." She had her grandchildren out hiking as soon as it was possible. She used the hikes to teach how to problem solve. Whether the obstacle on the trail was boulders or a stream, she would challenge the children to find the best way and then patiently waited for them to do so. She hiked 5 fourteeners the year she turned 50. Mom became adventurous enough to hike in the mountains alone. When Janet mentioned she might start wandering off the path, Heather had a new mission. To find surveyor's tape for Janet to tie to tree branches to help her avoid "not getting lost on another adventure". Janet's sense of adventure was not limited to car rides and hiking. Janet was inspired to keep learning. Each new challenge was met with a willingness to learn something new and grow as a person. The places she worked in over the years reflect the numerous facets of Janet. She worked in banking, finance, a library, and a science store to name only some. She was not inclined to be idle, always doing something. She always found ways to fill the empty spaces of her days. She sewed for the children when they were young, cross- stitched sweatshirts, wall hangings and baby blankets for the grand babies. She made beaded bells. She volunteered at local hospitals and visited friends who were shut in.Janet was an amazing Grandmama. When her two oldest granddaughters came to visit one weekend and she didn't have anything to eat in the kitchen, she embraced it with humor. She declared, I am not the typical Grandmama, I am not the cookie baking, rocking chair kind of Grandmama. And, so, from then on, her granddaughters brought breakfast with them. Eventually, she would stock the pantry with the mini boxes of cereal. However, Janet was more than the typical Grandmama. She poured her love into her grandchildren. She shared her faith and experiences with them. She traveled with her older ones taking them on trips. She nurtured their hearts and interests. She questioned nurses and made sure her tiniest grandchild would not be deprived of loving touch and they in turn blessed her with a brief snuggle where she breathed prayers and love into his ear before she had to return home. She loved to read to her grandchildren and when she moved far from them, she and Henry began the process of recording tapes as they read to the grandchildren. Each tape treasured and anticipated. Janet was correct, she wasn't a typical Grandmama, she was an extraordinary Grandmama. Janet loved people and made many, many good friends over the years. The feelings were mutual, and she was loved and cared for by many. She loved her family deeply and dearly. Her face would light up each time she had the opportunity to see one of her aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, nieces or nephews again. In these last years, God honored this love abundantly. Her deepest desire was to see healing in her family. While she may not have been present to witness it, I have no doubt she sees the many answers to her prayers. Janet was known for her words even though she sometimes had no idea how much she had blessed another. So as Alzheimer's followed its course, God in His wisdom took her voice much sooner than could have been anticipated. There was one brief moment, a slip of the tongue and Momma would not speak again. God's gift and grace to Janet who desperately wanted her family to know how much she loved them. In what would be one of the final conversations about life and family with Heather, Janet would share how much she loved each of her siblings. She wished she could spend more time with them and do things, but understood the fullness and business of life and was content.She adored and loved Henry. Henry brought out a side in Janet her children had never seen. She giggled like a school girl. She was beyond smitten. She was head over heels in love and swinging dancing with him was the perfect way to describe her joy. She giggled and swooned when she told how he spun her and twirled her on the dance floor. Her love was evident when she declared she had compromised with Henry. This compromise was very hard for her. Henry liked to ride his bicycle. Janet liked to hike. Her bicycling experiences a little less than stellar. She sometimes struggled with knowing how to brake and could be seen jumping off and running alongside her bicycle. It was her great love for Henry that she compromised and agreed if he would hike with her, she would bicycle with him. Henry set her up with a comfy seat and special pedals and a few more fun stories to tell others resulted. She loved to rejoice in Henry's accomplishments and was a big supporter of his endeavors. She delighted in Henry's selection as Teacher of the Year of the State of Colorado and so happy for him the opportunities it provided him including meet the President George Bush. She traveled the world with Henry and loved every minute. She discovered a joy in cooking and baking for Henry and loved to make him healthy oatmeal cookies. She enjoyed listening to him read to her as they took turns selecting books to read together. Their marriage was the grandest adventure ever and it was a delight to watch them together. Her love for him was left untouched by Alzheimer's. He remained her safe place, her love and comfort when the world became unfamiliar. She is survived by her loving husband, Henry McIntosh, her siblings, Nancy (Terry) Cooper of Arkansas, Frances "Frank" (Linda) McCaffrey of Florida, Catherine "Cathy" (Jim) Snyder of Kansas, and Mary Sifford of Kansas; her children, Michelle (Ben) Kelly, Heather Clark, Jeff Shipman, David (Ana) McIntosh, Michael McIntosh, and Krista (Dean) Hutchinson; 16 grandchildren; a few grands in law and 3 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She is preceded in death by her parents, Francis and Bernice (Kilmer) McCaffrey; sisters, Lorraine and Patricia. Visitation, 5:00PM-7:00PM, Thursday, January 11, 2018, The Springs Funeral Services, 3115 East Platte Avenue, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909.Funeral Service, 10:00AM, Friday, January 12, 2018, Grace Bible Church, 5905 Flintridge Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80918. Interment, Evergreen Cemetery, 1005 Hancock Expressway, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903. Events Visitation Thursday, January 11, 2018 5:00PM - 7:00PM The Springs Funeral Services 3115 East Platte Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Phone: 719-207-8855 Service Friday, January 12, 2018 10:00AM Grace Bible Church 5905 Flintridge Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80918 Phone: 719-328-1793 Final Resting Place Evergreen Cemetery 1005 Hancock Expressway Colorado Springs, CO 80903