Jo Ellen Lewis

Jo Ellen Lewis (Fiffe), 65, of Loveland died February 2, 2018 in the comfort of a familiar home surrounded by her family, after a hard battle with cancer. Jo Ellen was born September 29, 1952 to Joseph & Mary Elizabeth Lewis in Gary, Indiana.  When she was a child the family moved to Columbus, OH where she spent her childhood with her siblings; Jack Lewis, Jill Crescibene, Candy Aragon, Nancy Lewis Coleman, Beth Fischer, Trish Lewis & Tom Lewis.  In 1974 Jo Ellen followed Jill to Colorado where she settled in Loveland and started a family.  Her pride and joy were her daughters Nicole Fiffe and Kara Yeaman, and her grandsons Austin & Brock Yeaman.  She was a great mother, who put her children first.  Her significant other, Karl Sterkel of Loveland has been a special part of her life for many years.  They enjoyed motorcycle rides, visiting Estes and sharing a beer.  Jo was known for her hard work ethic at Kodak, North Shore Health Facility and Thompson School District where she worked at numerous schools.  She was set to retire from Truscott Elementary, Fall of 2017, but that plan was interrupted by her illness.  She will be most remembered by her spunk , great hugs, independence and a friend to all that crossed her path.  Jo had a love for music, dancing, shopping for deals and having a green thumb.  She had a special place in her heart for Loveland and loved calling it home. Jo Ellen is survived by:  Karl Sterkel; Nicole Fiffe (daughter, Loveland); Jon, Kara, Austin & Brock Yeaman (daughter & family, Denver, NC); John & Jill Crescibene (sister & brother in law, Windsor), Nancy Lewis Coleman (sister, Longmont); Beth Lewis Fischer (sister, Prescot, AZ); Trish Lewis (sister, Lyons); Tom Lewis (brother, Fort Collins).  Jo Ellen was preceded in death by: Joseph Lewis, father; Mary Elizabeth Lewis, mother; Jack Lewis, brother; and Candy Aragon, sister.   Please join us in celebration of her life, Wednesday, February 7 from 11 am to 1 pm in the Viegut Reception Center; we would love to meet everyone that touched her heart.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Humane Society of Larimer County in Jo Ellen’s name.