Connie LEWSADDER

Connie was born on October 27, 1952 in Redwood City, CA and passed away August 23 at her home in Grants Pass, OR. Soon after she was born her family moved to Hawaii where she grew up on a horse ranch on the Island of Oahu. Her higher educatin was completed in 1992 at Sonoma State University where she received a Bachelor's Degree in Russian History. From 1987-2007 Connie worked at Sonoma State University and eventually became Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Social Sciences. Also during that time she ran a commercial bakery called Czarina's Breads, Connie enjoyed sailing with her husband Bruce on San Francisco Bay, entertaining friends, cooking, Czarina - her cat, Russia (having traveled there twice) and she had an incredible admiration for Peter the Great. Connie moved to Grants Pass in 2007 and always had a propensity for volunteering for the needs of her community. Very shortly she became a Rotarian, an organization she wanted to dedicate her life to later on and do good things in other countries. Other volunteer work included Friends of the Symphony, Art Along the Rogue, Women's Crisis Support Team, Art in the Garden, and the Josephine County Non Profit Network. She became the main source of information for JoCoNet and hosted two seminars for the non-profit members. She felt that she was part of the nuts and bolts of the community by offering her service and was glad to be a part of the machinery that makes a community run. Having retired from Sonoma State University in California; Connie became administrative assistant for Fiberoptic Lighting and eventually for Kairos (formerly Soastc) in Grants Pass. Wherever she went she made many close and lasting friendships. She will be greatly missed. Connie is survived by her husband Bruce Lewsadder, hhis son Brian Lewsadder, her son Aaron Michelony, his wife Holly and her grand son Xavier Michelony.