Audrey Lucille McConnell

Audrey Lucille Stumph-McConnell was born May 20, 1930 to Phillip and Getrude(Dunmire) Stumph in Blairsville, Pennsylvania. She was one of nine children. Her mother Gertrude passed away when she was nine years old, and in 1941 her father along with Audrey, her younger sister Alma and brother Frank moved to Canon City, Colorado for his health. Audrey passed away at home with John at her side October 13 while under the wonderful care of HopeWest Hospice, and Columbine Caregivers.

She attended school in Canon City, and in high school was active in dance, band, and ROTC. She graduated from Canon City High School in 1949. She met John McConnell, the love of her life in the fall of 1949, and they were married September 3, 1950 at Christ Episcopal Church in Canon City. They moved to Craig, Colorado where John was employed by the Colorado State Patrol until he entered the United States Air Force in January 1951. Upon being assigned to Forbes Air Force Base in Topeka, Kansas, Audrey joined him. She worked for the Hallmark Card manufacturing facility there until the birth of their son Gary in August of 1953. John finished his service time, then completed his degree in Physics at Washburn University in 1960.

Audrey and John moved to Ames, Iowa after graduation where John was employed by Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University. They were active in St. John’s by the Campus Episcopal Church, and Audrey worked as a buyer in the offices of J.C. Penney until they moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico in 1974. There she was employed as the head of the teller department of the Los Alamos Credit Union until she and John retired in 1990.

Retirement brought Audrey and John into a new arena of joy, that of volunteering and working with kids. They moved from Los Alamos, NM to Grand Junction in November of 1990. Audrey began volunteering at Wingate Elementary School, and John began doing hands-on science with kids. John coined the program SITHOK(Science In The Hands Of Kids).

The fall of 1992 brought an exciting day for Audrey when John brought home a little third grade boy named Ryan Patterson who wanted to stay home from school and build his robots. It was but the first day of years he was to come as John mentored him. She was his supporter rooting him on in five years of science fair competition, tailoring his clothes through his winning all the science competitions in the country, $500,000 in cash and scholarships plus a week in Sweden at the Nobel Awards. She packed his suitcases and got him ready for the Sweden trip because his parents had not arrived home from his latest competition. He was definitely a huge joy in her life. That relationship with he and his family has continued.

Audrey and John’s lives continued on a path of more involvement with kids and hands-on science both locally and on the road out of the trunk of their car. She loved the mentoring relationship of three more students Derek Vigil locally, Cole Harding in Denver, and Zina Lahr in Ouray. They often heard the statement, “What happened to the golden years”. They felt they were living theirs with the help of kids.

In 1999 and 2000 things were changing, students could come to them to do hands-on science, first a room at Wingate Elementary, then the New Emerson School. In the summer of 1999 they began building what would be the John McConnell Math & Science Center, a hands-on center in 6000 square feet of space given by the School District. They were there without major funding or an organization, like a mom and pop center. Through the two of them they found like minded volunteers and funds and material from various companies, and individuals. It opened to the public in January 2000 with 160 displays. John was the director, but there was Audrey pushing things along and working many 80 hour weeks. They directed it as volunteers with another 60-80 volunteers to host thousands of students and visitors until 2009 when a paid director was hired.

That action freed Audrey and John up to provide an outreach program to schools in different areas of the state. It was on the road again. They were 80 years old and married for 60 years. Audrey was really up for it. They had a new all wheel drive van with a wrap on it spelling out SITHOK(Science In The Hands Of Kids). They would leave home on Sunday and go to a town or area and stay a week going into every classroom to do different hands-on science activities. Audrey loved it, students would come up to her in the hallway and say, “Mrs. McConnell, this is the best day of my life.” For Audrey this meant the world. They carried this out for two years seeing thousands of kids.

It was a huge joy to Audrey and John when the Math & Science Center as a non-profit moved to a new building on the Colorado Mesa University to be known as EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum. This brought her so much pride and joy.

Audrey is survived by her husband John of 72 years, son Gary (Peggy) of Ames, Iowa, two grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and thousands of kids whose lives she touched. Services will be held at St. Matthews Episcopal Church, 3888 27 ½ Road, Grand Junction on 12 November at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to HopeWest Hospice, 3090 N. 12th Street, Grand Junction, CO 81506 and/or Eureka Science Museum, 1400 North 7th Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501.