Marie Therese Terni

MARIE THERESE FRANK TERNIOctober 3, 1949 - August 29, 2019BROOMFIELD, COLORADO - Marie Therese Frank Terni, known by most as Terri Terni, passed away suddenly on August 29, 2019, at the age of 69. She was a loving mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. Terri was born Marie Therese Frank in Rochester, Minnesota, to Ludwig and Marie Frank in 1949. She is sibling to older brother, Matt, and younger sister, Mel. In 1952, the family moved to West Hartford, Connecticut, where she attended St. Thomas the Apostle School and Northwest Catholic High School. She graduated from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she received her degree in Psychology. Terri later went on to earn a Master's Degree in Psychology from the University of Denver. She was a devoted mother to her twins, daughter Lisa Marie and son Stephen Paul, who she had in June of 1977 with Stephen Paul Terni II, whom she was married to for 15 years. As a young wife and mother, she traveled extensively and lived abroad in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and Barranquilla, Colombia, South America. In 1988, she moved to Houston, Texas, where she lived for 28 years. There she established a private counseling practice and dedicated much of her time to counseling others through life's hardships. In 2015, she moved to Colorado to fulfill a lifelong dream of living near family and the Rocky Mountains where she could hike to her heart's content. Her life in Colorado was very much defined by her role as a grandmother. She was an active part of her granddaughter Avery's life and loved taking care of her. She traveled to California to spend time with her three grandsons, Asher, Levi and Benjamin. She made many new friends in her retirement and loved her Meet Up groups. She enthusiastically volunteered for Meals on Wheels, always appreciating the opportunity to help those in need. She adopted her beloved cat, Lucy, in Colorado. Before Lucy, Terri's heart belonged to Shredder and Nene, her cats and long-time companions for over 24 years. She loved nature and the outdoors, with a special interest in birds and wildflowers. She loved gardening, cooking and traveling. She loved books, her Book Club and playing bridge. She was a deeply spiritual woman who studied various spiritual traditions as they helped her find meaning and purpose in her existence. Her enthusiasm for life never waned and she will be missed by her friends, family and colleagues. Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Lisa Dion, and her granddaughter, Avery Dion, of Louisville, Colorado; her son, Stephen Terni, his wife Rebecca, and their three children Asher, Levi and Benjamin Terni of Monrovia, California; her brother, Matt Frank, and his wife Betty of Norfolk, VA; her sister, Mel Tulin, and her husband Philip of Eastham, MA; her step-mother Hallie Frank of South Lyme, CT, as well as nieces and nephews Laura Hoff, Bess Sully, Gregory Willsey, Jennifer Frank and Timothy Frank. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to one of her favorite organizations, the Coal Creek chapter of Meals on Wheels or the charity of your choice.