Connie Salazar Chavez was born in Denver, Colorado on April 24, 1927 to Archie A. Salazar and Isabel "Babe" (Vigil) Salazar, and passed away on October 15, 2017 in Lakewood, Colorado at age 90. Connie lived in San Luis from childhood until 1968, when she moved to Canon City with her eight children. She graduated from high school at St. Scholastica Academy in Canon City and earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Loretto Heights College in Denver. Connie's family is part of the 160-year legacy of the R&R Market in San Luis -- her great-great grandfather (Dario Gallegos), great-grandfather (A.A. Salazar), grandfather (Delfino Salazar), and father (Archie Salazar) were all proprietors of the mercantile business. Connie and her then-husband, Tom Chavez, also operated the store and in the late 1960s the store passed from the Salazar/Chavez family to their relatives, the Gallegos/Romero family, who still operate the business.

Connie is survived by her children, Frank Chavez and his wife Sherry, Mark Chavez, Anne Baxter and her husband Terry, Carla Hansford, Nola Chavez and her husband Steve Personius, Eric Chavez and his wife Tami, Mike Chavez, and David Chavez and his wife Holly. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Angie Chavez, Dan Chavez, Luke Chavez, Craig Baxter, Lauren Brummett, Brian Hansford, Sarah Ingram, Jared Hansford, Spencer Chavez, Carson Chavez, Kylie McBride, Rebecca Chavez, and Brynn Chavez, and her great-grandchildren, Donovan, Gavin, Natalie, Annalucia, Malyki, Cecelia, Connor, Juliana, Jaliyah, Sadie, Elise, and Benjamin.

A Funeral Mass was held Wednesday, October 18th at The Gardens at St. Elizabeth in Denver. Interment will be at the Lakeside Cemetery in Canon City at a later date.