Wynne Bouley

With the passing of Wynne Bouley on December 20, 2018, Mesa County lost one of its most passionate devotees; most dedicated volunteers; most energetic, humorous and outright friendliest human beings.  No one Wynne met remained a stranger for more than a few minutes.

Born  and raised in Detroit, Wynne graduated from Mumford High School in 1960. In 1964 she  received a BA in Spanish from University of Michigan, and soon thereafter,  a teaching certificate. In the ensuing years, Wynne taught and worked in the public and private sectors in Detroit; Windsor (Ontario, Canada) and Brownsville, Texas where, following a divorce, she re-established her education career as a high school counselor.

In 1993, she married David Bouley and spent several years on South Padre Island, Texas. On a road trip in 1997, Wynne and Dave, plagued with car trouble, were towed to Grand Junction for repairs. They fell in love with the majesty of the area, and within a year, had relocated to Colorado.

Beginning in 2000, Wynne served in a variety of teaching positions for Mesa County Valley School District. With her indomitable energy and desire to help others, Wynne complemented her School District work as a part-time AmeriCorps Volunteer with the Counseling and Education Center (CEC) which led to part-time employment through 2013. The roles she played while at CEC were many.  According to former CEC Executive Director Penny Frankhauser, “She always had the ‘will do’ enthusiasm and certainly kept all of us at CEC on our toes…”

Wynne’s volunteering took off when she connected with RSVP of Grand Junction, which matched her to a multitude of nonprofits. Before long, she landed positions on the boards of the Friends of Mesa County Library and Community Concerts of the Grand Valley; served on committees for United Way and the Fruita Chamber of Commerce; drove patients to appointments for the American Cancer Society; and fundraised for Roice-Hurst Humane Society, among others.  She also dedicated countless hours to the Colorado Welcome Center in Fruita, sharing her profound love for her adopted state with visitors.

Wynne twice earned nominations for Beacon Volunteer of the Year.  In one, Bobbi Alpha of Community Concerts wrote “Wynne has a contagious energy and enthusiasm in everything she did - it particularly shows when she is promoting our concerts!”

A passion for travel and exploration led Wynne to every corner of the U.S. and at least a dozen other countries.

Wynne’s struggle against cancer began in 2014, but it was not until recently that her “whirl-Wynne” energy began to wane.  She battled back by seeking volunteer assignments that she could do from home. Wynne simply did not believe that life without helping others was worth living.

Though Wynne did not raise any children, her deep caring for young people shone especially bright in her mentoring of a Canadian girl and Texan boy, now adults, with whom she remained close and who credit Wynne with giving them the confidence to strive and get ahead in life.

Wynne died peacefully in the caring environment of HopeWest in Grand Junction.  She leaves behind her husband of 25 years, David Bouley of Fruita; brother Dale Goldstein of Rochester, New York; sister Jan Goldstein of Silver Spring, Maryland; and other family members including Paul Luke of Chicago; canine companion Dulce; and a tremendous collection of friends with whom she traveled, played Bunco, discussed books, sipped coffee, and shared life’s precious moments.  An open house celebrating Wynne’s life will be held on Tuesday, February 12, 2019 from 3-5 p.m. at the Fruita Community Center (324 North Coulson)