Colleen S. O'Connor-Dow

Colleen was a woman who knew how to embrace life. She was outspoken and intelligent, however, she will be remembered most for her loving, caring and generous nature.

Born April 25, 1961, to Richard and Elizabeth (Ayris) O'Connor, Colleen entered a family where she was to be the only daughter. She was the second born after her brother Kevin,and three more boys followed, Brian, Brendan and Sean. Her brothers remembered her as the princess in the family, however, Colleen had some tough moments surviving in a house overflowing with testosterone. Although Colleen was born in Detroit, MI, by the time she was eight, the family moved to Holland. Her father, Richard, worked as a social worker and his job brought on the relocation. Her mother stayed at home to raise the five children. Colleen was always close with her brothers and when her parents divorced in 1974, she was lucky to have them in her life for comfort.

The era in which she grew up in was marked by great social change. The country had begun to move away from the conservative fifties and toward new revolutionary thinking. There were significant changes occurring in our education, values, lifestyles, laws and entertainment. As a teenager, Colleen loved to be a part of the social scene and she looked for opportunities to be in the mix wherever she went. She attended Holland High School until her graduation in 1979. Being the good student that she was, it was no surprise that she went on to pursue higher education. As a young woman, Colleen enrolled at Northern Michigan University where six years later she graduated with a degree in criminal justice. She loved learning about the justice system and she even decided to go on and attend the police academy. During college life, she met Mike. Their lives both changed dramatically when they were married on May 23, 1986. They became husband and wife and soon began a family. Their son Alden was born a year after they were married, in 1987. In 1991, Colleen gave birth to their precious daughter, Taylor. Being a mother to her two little ones was very important to Colleen and she chose not to work in her field. She focused on being a good mom. For Colleen, being a good mom was raising them with a reasonable amount of strictness. Although her marriage to Mike eventually ended in divorce, she was grateful that their short-lived love created their two children, Alden and Taylor.

Over the years, Colleen had the privilege of doing a lot of traveling. She packed her bags on numerous occasions and headed out to places like France, Ireland, Indonesia and almost all of the fifty states in the U.S. When she was traveling and even locally, Colleen enjoyed dressing up and heading out into the wintery weather for snow skiing. In the summertime, sailing was a hobby that brought her lots of satisfaction, as well as just being out in the great outdoors. Colleen was a born shopper and she took any chance she got to shop with family and friends. She also truly enjoyed shopping for family and friends. With her love of shopping, she found a job opportunity that fit her to the tee. For a number of years, she and a friend owned and operated a clothing import and sales business up in Traverse City. Besides her many other passions, Colleen was also a big baseball fan. She loved following the stats of the Detroit Tigers, and whether they were winning or losing, she was always a loyal fan. She could listen to the games on radio or enjoy watching the games on TV for hours. Last year, Colleen and her brother had the remarkable opportunity of attending the All Star game in Detroit. What a once in a lifetime experience she was able to share with her brother.

At home or on vacation, Colleen loved to curl up and relax with a good book. She was such an avid reader that it wasn't uncommon for her to be reading several different books at the same time.

Sadly, Colleen died unexpectedly on Sunday. Her family and friends will hold on to the sweet memories of her kind and caring heart and she will be dearly missed.

Colleen S. O'Connor-Dow, age 45 of Traverse City and formerly of Holland, died Sunday, May 7, 2006 at the home of a friend in Saugatuck. She was survived by her daughter Taylor Dow, a son Alden Dow both of Traverse City, parents, Richard O'Connor and Elizabeth O'Connor both of Holland, brothers, Kevin ( Sandy ) O'Connor, Brian (Suzanne) O'Connor, Brendan (Sherri) O' Connor and Sean O'Connor all of Holland. She was preceded in death by her niece Erin Marie O'Connor in 1993. The family will receive friends Thursday from 2-4p.m. and 7-9p.m. at the Mulder Chapel of the Dykstra Life Story Funeral Home. A scripture service will be held 8:00 p.m. Thursday, at that same location. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday at 10:00a.m. at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 195 W. 13th St., Holland, Rev. Fr. Charles Brown, officiating. Please visit Colleen's web page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can read her life story, leave a message for the family. Memorial contributions may be made to the Hospice House of Holland.