Leslie Michelle (Watts) Morey, 55, passed away, in her home, on April 7, 2016 of complications from a car accident. Michelle or Mickey, as family and friends called her, called Colorado Springs, Colorado home for the past 8 years with her husband, Michael and our K-9 friends, Cheyenne (Labradoodle), Shalaleigh (Mini-Pinscher), and Gizmo (Chion).
She was born in to an Air Force family at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado on March 21, 1961 to Jim and Sue Watts (Both deceased). Home was wherever her father and eventually, her husband were assigned. Michelle spent all of her formative and most of her adult years as an Air Force dependent, a life she truly loved. She graduated high school early in December 1979 and attended Yuba City Community College in 2007-2008 timeframe where she earned a certification in Medical Billing and Coding.
Michelle and Michael were introduced to one another in 1980 and were married on September 26, 1981. During the past 34 years, they raised two wonderful children, Trevor Michael and Jessica Rae, travelled all around the world, met many people (including famous ones), and had a divine love and passion for everything. She was the matriarch of a wonderful, happy, and growing family and became a loving mother-in-law to Brian, Jessica’s husband, and to Sadie, Trevor’s wife. She had become a “Nana” in 2010 with the birth of our first grandchild, Braedon Michael, who was a shining bright light for Michelle. In February 2016, she became “Nana” for the second time when Grayson Patrick was born and brightened the “grandchild” light even brighter.
During her life, Michelle held a variety of jobs and positions. She worked as an airport security agent, a hotel customer service agent, a retail associate and manager, a successful business owner, a leader, a household engineer, an artist, and most importantly as a wife, mother, and friend. She was one of those people who could do anything and almost everything. There never was a challenge, too big or small, she could not overcome. Michelle had the “Midas” touch and could turn every situation, challenge, or event in to one with a “gold” response. As we continued through our Air Force career, Michelle, became an increasingly important leader and was the genesis behind many things to support Airmen and their families. For everything she could be involved in and board she could sit on, her ultimate goal was to “take care of the Airmen and their families”. After the military, Michelle was keenly interested in her family, friends, and neighbors. She applied the same level of interest and support to them as she did for members of the military. Always willing to find a way to help and assist.
In 2004, we were involved in a car accident that changed her life forever. Over the course of the next 3 years, she underwent multitudes of testing and evaluated by many doctors, all because the accident identified a serious medical condition called Chiari Malformation. In January 2007, she underwent a surgical procedure to correct the Chiari Malformation. In August of 2007, she had a transient inschemic attack (minor) stroke. Again, she underwent multitudes of testing, and it was discovered that she actually had a hole in her heart. The testing and evaluating continued until May 2008, when a renowned heart surgeon discovered 4 major issues with Michelle’s heart and immediately set an operation date for her to have open-heart surgery. She fully recovered from the heart operation. In June 2008, we relocated to our permanent home in Colorado Springs. We believe this to be God’s country and the military support for her medical issues was also a critical factor in choosing this place to live. In February 2014, she underwent a second brain operation known as a Chiari Revision due to her body beginning to rejection of the prior work accomplished to correct the malformation. Unfortunately,
it was during this operation that Michelle lost the use of part of her diaphragm and was placed on oxygen. This operation was successful in correcting the Chiari Malformation issues. Yet she continued to struggle with severe migraines, neck, and back pain.
Through all of the health issues and concerns, Michelle never quit being an “artist”. She needlepointed, crocheted, sewed, painted, made flower arrangements, baked professional cakes/cupcakes, gardened, and began developing new hobbies of scrapbooking and quilting. Nothing would stand in her way. She completed classes on quilting, developed quilts, and through this adventure, made ever-lasting friendships with Anne, Barbara, Lorraine, Cheryl, Pat, and Marvalynn. She absolutely adored her children, Trevor and Sadie and Jessica and Brian. Her grandsons were her joy and happiness and she loved them dearly. Additionally, she was truly fond of her siblings, her nieces and nephews, and those whom she called friends.
My Michelle was a woman of beauty, grace, intelligence, love, and compassion. Her priorities were about everyone else. She put family and friends at the forefront of everything. There was nothing this woman couldn’t do and she always had my admiration for this drive. She was my rock, my inspiration, my salvation, and my guiding light. I am who I am because of her and she is the one who made life grand. My success is her success because she always knew what to say and do to motivate, inspire, and encourage me to find myself and be a better person.
Her heart was truly made of gold. She always found the good in everything no matter how bleak or tough a situation was. She has always given to others at her own expense while thoroughly enjoying making others happy and delivering goodness in all things. Her faith, her hope, and her stalwart strength were the pillars of her character. She lived truth, honest, and integrity always never spoke ill of others. Michelle’s keen awareness and insight of people allowed her to win anyone to her side and she was always benevolently respectful towards others. She had an amazing politeness that supplemented her deep, abiding grace and sanctioned her amiability to be adored and loved by everyone. She had no idea of how to be anything but cordial and understanding. Her life centered around family and she made it her personal endeavor in life to make our family strong, loving, and happy. It is in all these things, I had my “hero”.
She was always perfect to me, even when I didn’t agree with her on things or she was the voice of reason on things. When I married her, I told her that it was for life. That never changed. I also told her I would always provide a good home, clothes to wear, and food in the cupboards. That never changed. She made every home a palace and filled it with love. Her personal commitment, sacrifice and dedication to others was always evident in the things she did in life. It wasn’t about her, but about those around her, family or friends.
Michelle was and is the “love of my life” and the center of my universe. I will always, “love her to the moon and back…!”
Arrangements under the direction of Memorial Gardens Cemetery & Funeral Home, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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