Durango lost another great resident when Sammy Willis passed away in October. There are few defining moments in one’s life, and knowing Sammy – as the mother of one of my best friends, a neighbor and someone who represented the very best of human kind – is how I know my life is blessed and full.

In December 1973, my father passed away, and I had to come home. I enrolled at Fort Lewis College. Times were difficult for my mother and our family. Sammy Willis helped me get a job at the college. I was able to work with some amazing secretaries at the college, and, along with Sammy, they mentored and nurtured me. Sammy and these dynamic women also showed me the importance of strength and resilience when faced with what seemed like insurmountable challenges. I will never forget their words of wisdom and their constant kindness.

I also learned that the college’s secretarial (a term no longer used today) staff was intelligent, competent and dedicated to the college’s students, faculty and staff. Having started my career in the secretarial ranks allowed me to understand that everyone who worked at the college was important to the college’s overall success.

Sammy Willis was a vital part of the leadership at FLC, and I will be forever grateful to her and the other cadre of women who instilled in me the values of a work ethic, but also how to have fun while you work.

As I mourned Sammy’s passing, my husband and I escorted Annabel Stickle to Sammy’s celebration of life. Annabel – at 93-years young – was another FLC secretary who reached out to so many students, and she, along with Ned Wallace, was integral in establishing the Fort Lewis College Alumni Association. Annabel remembers everything, and as Bob Ledger (Durango’s former city manager) came up to hug Annabel, she recounted many stories of Bob’s tenure as a student at FLC.

Here’s to Sammy Willis and Annabel Stickle as they were an integral part in FLC’s rich history.

Sheri Rochford Figgs

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