Lee Chaffin Obituary

Rosalie "Lee" Chaffin passed away in the early morning hours of June 9, 2024, in Durango. An exit true to her character, she surprised us all with her sudden departure, but she clearly had more important things to do, and her final task of helping the next generation of medical professionals could no longer wait.

Lee was born in Taylorville, Illinois, the only child of Maimie and Leo Wenoff. The family soon moved to Mesa, Arizona, where she graduated high school in 1955.

She briefly attended Arizona State College in Tempe, studying to be a journalist. But during her freshman year, the tug of something greater guided her down a different path. Journalism probably wasn't her gift, but medicine certainly was, and Lee transferred to nursing school, earning her R.N. in 1959. For the next 50+ years, she gave of herself to provide comfort, peace, and health to her fellow man. At various times during her career, she was a medical office nurse, a job-site nurse, an ER nurse, and a cardiac care nurse. She retired for good when she was 72, to spend time with her soul mate of 38 years, Stan Chaffin.

Lee had married her first husband in 1961. They had two children, Shelley, and Jeff, and in 1968, the family moved to Colorado. That marriage ended in 1976, but two years later, Lee and Stan met on a dance floor, and by November of 1979, the two began their long romance.

Lee was welcomed into the fold of the Chaffin clan with open arms, quickly developing deep, lasting friendships with her many brothers- and sisters-in-law. Lee and Stan had numerous adventures, including outings to Las Vegas with the brothers and sisters, long hikes in the mountains and in the desert, trips on the motorcycle, rides in hot air balloons, and jumping out of airplanes.

Lee was an involved member of her community. While she enjoyed spending time in her yard tending to her flowers and bushes (and battling that damn grapefruit tree that seemed to be forever bearing fruit), her greatest passion was having dinners and throwing parties for family, friends, and neighbors. She and Stan were instrumental in Neighborhood Watch groups, volunteering at health fairs, organizing community yard sales and dinners, and countless other social events.

Lee's final move was to Durango, moving into Sunshine Gardens in February. She remained busy while there, much to the chagrin of the staff. She would do checks on the fellow residents, help with laundry, bus tables, and would stand by to assist (or maybe to evaluate!) the nurses who would make in-house visits to check on the patients of the facility.

Lee is survived by her children, Shelley Williams (Skip) and Jeff Misener (Jaimie); her step-children Alan Chaffin (Dana), Vic Chaffin, and Cindy Denton; her half-brothers Rick Foote and Tim Foote; her granddaughter and great-granddaughter, and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews from the Chaffin side of the ledger! In lieu of money or flowers, dance with someone you love, donate a pint of blood, or contribute to the Alzheimer's Association at Act.alz.org.