Kathleen Lynn Grillo

She was raised in a loving, academic, Methodist family. Her father Norman Robert Clayton was an elementary school principal and her mother Kathryn Jane Clayton was a librarian. She was the middle child of their three daughters. Kathleen attended Carleton College for two and a half years and then transferred to the University of Wisconsin to receive a bachelor's degree in elementary education.

Upon graduation she worked for one year in the St. Louis Park Public School District in Minnesota and then followed her dream of moving out west. In 1960, before starting a new teaching position in the Denver Public Schools, she decided to spend the summer with her younger sister working at Echo Lake Lodge in Idaho Springs, Colorado. While working at Echo Lake, she met the love of her life, Carmen Joseph Grillo, who was from Idaho Springs. Little did she know that they would end up sharing a wonderful marriage for over 55 years. Kathleen enjoyed the outdoors, gardening, traveling and skiing. She had a passion for reading and an enthusiasm for educating children. She spent the majority of her career teaching in the Cherry Creek School District and was selected as one of eight teachers for the 1982-1983 Colorado Teacher Award.

Kathleen treasured her family and friends. She stayed in touch with her Carleton classmates for over 60 years, sharing trips and “round-robin letters”. She cherished her teaching colleagues, as well as friends from the neighborhoods, Walnut Hills and Hunters Hill, where she and Carmen raised their children. She always looked forward to time with her bible study group at St. Andrew United Methodist Church where she had been a lifelong member, in addition to time with her quilting group. In her early 20s, Kathleen, along with Carmen and six other couples, formed a potluck dinner group. Over the next 50+ years they shared many wonderful dinners, holiday parties and trips eventually becoming not just close friends, but family. She was a devoted mother to her three children, showering them with unconditional love and teaching them through example how to face every challenge with a positive attitude while also being kind and generous.

After retiring, she donated much of her time to her grandchildren and the less fortunate. She would read to the children at Warren Village and Walnut Hills Elementary and sewed blankets and clothes for the newborns at Denver Health. Her grandchildren will remember her with love and affection for teaching them to make bunny buns and pasties, reading to them, teaching them to sew, making costumes for them, gardening, as well as enjoying yearly trips to Tiny Town, Glenwood Springs and Winter Park via the ski train.

She is predeceased by her husband; her parents; her sisters Judith Wee and Ann Rock. She is survived by her children Scott (Melissa) Grillo, Mark (Debbie) Grillo and Susan (Rob Arnold) and her ten grandchildren: Taylor, Amanda, Alexa, Max, Annie, Ashton, Joey, Clay, Remy and Teddy.

A celebration of her life will be held at St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 9203 S. University Blvd, Highlands Ranch, CO on Friday January 31st, 2020 at 9:30am. Internment at Fort Logan at 1pm.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in her name to Warren Village (https://warrenvillage.org).