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COLLEEN A. CORDANO
Sept. 27, 1945 – Dec. 28, 2020
Cordano obit pic
On Sunday, December 28, 2020, loving wife and mother of three, Colleen A. Cordano of Oakdale, CA, passed away at the age of 75 after her long battle with cancer. She was preceded in death by her parents William (Bill) and Eileen Price and brother Robert (Bob) Price.
Colleen was born in Ogden, Utah, but spent most of her childhood in the Fairway Park area of Hayward, CA. She attended Tennyson High School and graduated with the class of 1963. During her high school years, she participated in the International Order of the Rainbow Girls and was elected as a Worthy Advisor. She married her husband Robert (Bob) Cordano on October 2, 1966. Together they had three children and raised their family in both Union City and Fremont, California, before moving to Oakdale in 1988. Colleen worked at Montgomery Ward (Fremont/San Jose) and Blue Shield of California (Riverbank/Lodi), and she retired in 2000.
Colleen was a highly involved member of her community. She volunteered as a room parent while her children were in elementary school. She was an active member of the Oakdale Women’s Club, where she helped establish the club by-laws and held different positions in the club, such as Hostess, Phone Committee Chairperson, President, and Parliamentarian. Her peers honored her as OWC Woman of the Year in 2012-2013. Furthermore, Colleen tirelessly volunteered both in the Oakdale Literacy program, where she helped teach English to second language learners, and in the Oakdale Friends of the Library, where she helped organize the annual fundraising book sale. Bringing people together was in her blood, as she also spent years coordinating high school reunions for Tennyson High’s class of ‘63.
Colleen was an amazing cook, and she enjoyed camping, traveling, and going on cruises. In retirement, her travels with her husband included the US, Canada, and Europe. She was also an avid bridge player, participating in two different groups with her good friends. Nothing put a greater smile on her face, however, than the moments she spent with her seven grandchildren. Keeping family connected, staying in contact with friends, volunteering her time in the community, and helping those in need were all passions she held close to her heart.
She is survived by her husband of 54 years Robert (Bob) Cordano; sister Liz Price; sisters-in-law Sally Price and Sandra Cordano; son Mark Cordano (Jennifer); daughter Kimberly Spencer (Rick); son Matthew Cordano (Jameelah); grandchildren Brianne, Aubrey, Nicholas, Karlie, Samuel, James, and Thomas; nephew Geoff and niece Caitlin. Colleen will be dearly missed by all those that knew her, and her legacy will live on in the hearts of all of us that were lucky enough to have this extraordinary woman in our lives. A funeral service and celebration of life will be held at a later date as pandemic restrictions are lifted. A formal announcement will be made through Facebook.
The Oakdale (Calif.) Leader
The Riverbank (Calif.) News
Jan. 13, 2021