Obituary: Loralee McNeilly Hettinger
Provided Photo
– September 30, 2025
Loralee McNeilly Hettinger, avid outdoor enthusiast, passed away peacefully at home in Colorado Springs on September 30, 2025. She was 84.
Loralee’s sense of adventure was sparked when she turned 40 and went on an Outward Bound trip in Utah. Soon after, Loralee and family moved from Florida to Colorado Springs where she met her true love, the Colorado mountains. She found her tribe in a group of female hikers who, over the next 20 years, summited 45 of Colorado’s 54 14ers as well as doing backpacking trips across the West and in the Alps. She met her other true love, Jack Hettinger, through the Colorado Mountain Club, and they shared over 20 years of marriage marked by hiking and cycling adventures.
Loralee was a cherished member of several communities, including the Summit County Senior Center. Her presence was a beacon of friendship and community spirit wherever she resided.
Loralee is survived by her son, Cary Stephan (Jennifer); daughter, Larissa Lodzinski (Robert); grandson, Chandler Stephan (Anna); great-granddaughter, Aeralyn.
Memorial donations may be made to the Summit Lost Pet Rescue (lostpetrescue.org).
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