Colleen Menefee
January 11, 1945 - February 25, 2021

Colleen Menefee of Los Banos, California passed away on the evening of Thursday, February 25th, 2021. Born in Muskogee Oklahoma in 1945, Colleen spent her childhood moving around the central and western United States due to her father's work with the Bureau of Reclamation. The family of three girls and one boy grew up all over, from the desert plains of Tucumcari, NM to the dense forest of Klamath Falls, Oregon. It was a blessing then that during her senior year of high school, her family settled in the Central Valley of California, and the town of Los Banos which would become her lifelong home. Although she graduated from UCSB with a BS in Geography, it was here where she would meet the love of her life and life partner Jerry Menefee. Together they would raise their three children, Scott, Sarah and Steven. Colleen would become an integral part of her community dedicating her time, intellect and boundless energy to the community. She was a gentle yet effective promoter of the arts in Los Banos, a supporter of the library and of books and reading for children, an active member of Rotary and many other organizations and activities. She championed the nature of the region and the trees around us. Her good nature and infectious laugh made you think that things were not only possible, they were going to be fun as well. She has been a light illuminating the patch of ground upon which we live, work and love. It was with this dedication she spent 24 years on the Los Banos School Board. She cared deeply for children and education and wanted to make sure that all children had an equal opportunity to explore and engage with the world. Her dedication to her city was only outshone by the love and dedication that she showed her family. Her children remember her love for life and land, music, art, buildings and books. They fondly remember her planning their annual spring picnic out at the Menefee ranch, to talking to them about varieties of trees and different techniques in making art. There was the time spent looking at comets, gathering owl pellets and catching tarantulas for the classroom. She had so much to give and always put her children and family before herself. As her own children got older, they had children themselves. Colleen cherished her grandchildren Jacob, Kate, Emma, Ava, Henry, Max and George. And they of course cherished her in return. Colleen loved and dedicated herself to her family and her husband of 51 years, Jerry. She is the love of his life and he is the love of hers. They worked together every day at the Veterinary hospital caring for dogs, cats, bunnies and birds. They ate every meal together, very often seen around town on their lunch break engaged in conversation. They were not only co-workers who were married, they were truly best friends. We can know that she and her son Steven's amazing spirits will now be together. As a family and a community, we are eternally grateful for the joy and light Colleen has brought into our hearts and into our homes. Colleen is survived by her husband, Jerry Menefee; her son Scott Menefee and wife Chu'an of Los Banos and their children, Jacob, Kate, Emma, Ava and Max; her daughter Sarah Min and her husband Stephen Min of Minneapolis, MN and their sons Henry and George. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to one of the following organizations: Steven Menefee Graduate Fund for Indigenous Language Revitalization, Navajo University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, Los Banos Arts Council, Friends of the Los Banos Library, Westside Community Foundation or LBUSD District Scholarship Fund.

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