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Portrait of Stella Salazar
In loving memory

Stella Salazar

June 16, 1935 – December 30, 2023
Lived 88 years
Denver, Colorado
Life story

Stella C. Salazar (88) passed away on Saturday, December 30, 2023, in her home surrounded by her loving family.

Stella was a Colorado native, born on June 16, 1935, to the late Manuel & Annie Ortega and was the oldest of three children. As a child she lived in Brighton before moving to Denver where she attended school and met her husband, Pete. They married and had six children. She dedicated her life to helping others, which included working at Westwood, West Side and La Casa Health Clinics as a Certified Lab Technician. She retired from Denver Health & Hospital Authority.

She was a kind, giving, non-judgmental woman who allowed people to be ‘just who they are’. This is something she ‘taught by example’ to the four generations following in her footsteps; and her love of animals was no different.

Stella is preceded in death by her parents; husband–Pete Salazar; brothers–Fred Ortega and Patrick Ortega; sons–Roy Salazar and Pete Salazar Jr.; and granddaughter, Stephanie Salazar.

She is survived by her children: Laura (Ray) Trujillo, Vincent Salazar, Ayleen Salazar, and Glenn Salazar. At the untimely death of her brother, Stella also raised her young nieces Estella Ortega & Carina Vigil where her role was not only that of aunt, but also mom/grandma.

Stella was affectionately known as Gram, Grammy, Gram Great, Granny Great-Great, and Nana to her numerous grand/great/great great grandchildren. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews, cousins and godchildren.

Photos
Lifetime

The world Stella knew

Family milestones in gold, history for context

1935
Born June 16
1939
Stella was 4 when "Gone with the Wind" premiered in Atlanta
1942
Stella was 7 when Bing Crosby recorded "White Christmas"
1958
Stella was 23 when the Hula Hoop craze swept the country
1964
Stella was 29 when the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
1974
Stella was 39 when Richard Nixon resigned the presidency
1982
Stella was 47 when Michael Jackson released "Thriller"
1994
Stella was 59 when "Friends" premiered
2001
Stella was 66 when Apple introduced the iPod
2010
Stella was 75 when Apple's iPad went on sale
2022
Stella was 87 when ChatGPT was released to the public
2023
Passed away December 30, age 88
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