Glenanne (Glennie) Engstrom

Glenanne Engstrom, or Glennie, as those that loved her called her, passed away on Saturday, November 17th, 2018, after an intense and short battle with Cancer.  Glennie leaves behind her husband Craig, her daughters Courtney and Allie, two brothers Greg and Chuck and a large and loving extended family.

Glenanne was born on June 1st, 1954 in Cherry Hills, Denver, CO to Glen and Anne Perkins.  She had three brothers, Greg, Chuck, and Pat. Her father Glen passed away when she was little and shortly there after the family moved to Wichita, KS to be near Glenanne’s Grandparents. 

In Wichita, Glenanne graduated from Wichita Heights High School and attended Wichita State University and met her first husband Don Osterfelt.  In 1976 Don and Glenanne moved to Ft. Collins, CO where Don pursued a career in banking and Glenanne got a job at Teledyne WaterPik.  She worked there for 10 years and during that time had her first born child, Courtney.

In 1982 Don and Glenanne were separated and on May 5th, 1984 she married Craig Engstrom.  

In 1987 Craig and Glennie had their daughter Allie.  Glenanne began her career working for Poudre Valley Hospital, now known as UC Health, in 1991.  While working full time and raising two kids, Glennie finished her degree at Regis University and graduated in 1997.   Glenanne worked at UC Health for just over 27 years wearing many hats, her favorite of which was in  Human Resources as the training specialist.  She was the first face many employees at UC Health got to know, as she on-boarded new employees with a welcoming smile and endless jokes.   She spearheaded the diversity series of trainings at the hospital, an area she had a true passion for.  Glennie’s trainings were very popular, often requiring a waitlist.  She filled her trainings with humorous stories and anecdotes she used to keep attendees entertained. She loved her job and the incredible team of people she got to work with.  Her passion for people was obvious and through her trainings and orientations, she touched hundreds of lives.

Glenanne retired from UC Health after almost 28 years of employment on her 64th birthday on June 1st, 2018.  Outside of her UC Health community Glennie was involved in so many other activities, notably were her Tennis Girls, "The Rafters,” Movie Club and Book Club.  Through years of playing tennis and seeking adventure, Glenanne built life long friendships with wonderful people who immediately became an extension of her family.  Glenanne also served on several committees at her church, Spirit of Joy Lutheran and had a passion for volunteering throughout the community. 

Glenanne had a gift for making everybody feel like a somebody.  As people have shared since her passing, Glennie was the most loving and inclusive person they had ever known.  Our home throughout the holiday’s was always a revolving door, as every family member and friend always had a seat at the table.  Whether she had known you for years or just met you in an elevator, she had a unique gift for making you feel like the most important person in the world.  Glenanne  wanted this world to be a place where everyone felt loved, and because of that, she will be missed. We look forward to re-uniting with our loving mother, wife, friend, and confidant, just like her favorite song suggests, “somewhere over the rainbow.”

Her family would like to thank the UC Health Care Team for making her feel important, hopeful, and nurtured.  Glennie passed with dignity and class, and that was largely due to the hard and caring work of her healthcare providers.

Glenanne Engstom’s Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, December 6th.  Her Memorial Service will take place at 2pm at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ft. Collins, CO and her Celebration of Life will follow at 5pm in the Canyon West Ballroom at The Lincoln Center.   In the true spirit of honoring our Glennie, this service is open to anyone who had a connection to her.  Her love knew no boundaries.