Celia Fay Maske

Celia Fay Moore Maske lived a remarkable life spanning nearly nine decades, embodying the transformative power of education and the enduring strength of faith-centered service. Born in the heart of the Mississippi Delta during the Great Depression, she would eventually become a pioneering educator in Colorado, touching thousands of young lives while building a legacy of compassion, intellectual curiosity, and unwavering commitment to community.

Born Celia Fay Moore on August 24, 1936, in Moorhead, Mississippi, she entered the world during one of America's most challenging economic periods. Her parents, Rushell Overton (R.O.) and Lama Eulene (Hill) Moore, had moved to the Mississippi Delta from the hill country near Amory, Mississippi, several years earlier, seeking better opportunities in the fertile agricultural region. When Celia was three years old, the family relocated to Humphreys County, establishing a farm homestead and bringing R.O.'s parents from northeastern Mississippi to join them in this multi-generational agricultural venture.

Known affectionately as "Fay" during her childhood, Celia grew up alongside her older sisters Jo Ann and Norene, all three daughters sharing the responsibilities of farm life while pursuing their education. The family attended school in the nearby town of Silver City, where despite the demands of agricultural work, Celia distinguished herself academically. Her exceptional performance culminated in graduating as valedictorian of her high school class—a remarkable achievement for a young woman from a farming family in rural Mississippi during the 1950s.

R.O. Moore, despite having little formal education himself, worked tirelessly to ensure his daughters could attend college, demonstrating a progressive commitment to education that was unusual for the time and place. Celia honored this sacrifice by pursuing higher education at Mississippi College, an institution with deep historical roots as the oldest college in Mississippi, founded in 1826 as Hampstead Academy and later becoming the first coeducational institution in the United States to grant degrees to women. At Mississippi College, Celia majored in Elementary Education, preparing herself for what would become a distinguished career in teaching.

Upon completing her degree, Celia was immediately recruited to teach primary school in Colorado—an opportunity that would redirect her entire life trajectory. In 1957, she joined Jefferson County Public Schools west of Denver, embarking on what would become a 34-year career dedicated to nurturing young minds. Throughout her tenure, she taught First and Fifth grades at six different elementary schools: Fruitdale, Secrest, Swanson, Martensen, Lumberg, and Kullerstrand, serving the communities of Arvada and Wheat Ridge with distinction.

Having arrived in Colorado as a young teacher, Celia began attending Truett Memorial Baptist Church near her apartment in Wheat Ridge, named in honor of George Washington Truett, the influential Baptist leader who served as President of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1927 to 1929. It was at this church that she met Larry Dee Maske, a recent Nebraska transplant who shared her Baptist faith and commitment to Christian community. Their courtship blossomed into love, and the couple married on August 14, 1960, in Louise, Mississippi, in the heart of Humphreys County where Celia's family had established their farm.

Celia and Larry established their home in an iconic painted red house on Kendall Street in Wheat Ridge, which became a beloved landmark in the community. Their family grew with the birth of their son Andrew (Andy) in 1962, followed by daughter Leah four years later, and son Matthew (Matt) three years after that. Despite the geographic distance, the family maintained strong connections to Celia's Mississippi roots through yearly pilgrimages to visit her family, ensuring that the children understood and appreciated their Southern heritage.

As her teaching career progressed, Celia developed an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the emotional and social challenges facing her young students. Her concern about the domestic turmoil affecting some of her pupils motivated her to pursue advanced training in guidance and counseling at the University of Northern Colorado. Completing her Master's degree in 1977 after twenty years of classroom experience, she demonstrated exceptional commitment to professional growth and student welfare, investing in her education while maintaining her full-time teaching responsibilities.

The Maske family became deeply integrated into their local faith community, attending Arvada Central Baptist Church where all three children would eventually be married. Celia's passion for education and Christian faith ensured that her children grew up actively engaged in both school and church activities, reflecting the values that had shaped her own upbringing in Mississippi.

Beyond her classroom responsibilities, Celia emerged as a leader within the educational community. She was elected president of the Colorado chapter of Kappa Kappa Iota, a professional sorority for educators founded in 1921 and headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In this role, she gave countless hours to the organization, supporting fellow educators in their professional development and community engagement efforts.

Following her retirement from Jefferson County Public Schools after 34 years of dedicated service, Celia redirected her considerable talents toward community service and family relationships. She focused on staying in touch with former students and old friends, maintaining the connections that had enriched her teaching career. She fondly remembered her many students, calling them "all my kids," a phrase that captured her profound emotional investment in their lives and development.

Celia's retirement years were marked by active engagement in multiple forms of service. She taught adult Sunday School classes into her eighties, sharing her faith and wisdom with fellow church members. She also volunteered extensively with the Wheat Ridge Senior Center, now known as the Active Adult Center, supporting programs and services for older adults in her community. Perhaps most meaningfully, she devoted considerable time to supporting friends and acquaintances dealing with health challenges, aging, and grief, offering the pastoral care that came naturally from her compassionate spirit and life experience.

Family remained central to Celia's life throughout her later years. She was extremely proud of her three children and five grandchildren, as well as her step-granddaughter and five great-grandchildren. Her love of travel with family enabled her to visit England, Ireland, Germany, and China, as well as many parts of the United States, creating shared memories and broadening her worldview even as she maintained deep local roots.

Celia experienced significant losses in her later years, including the deaths of her parents, her sisters Noreen Slaughter and Jo Ann Harris, and her beloved husband Larry. Despite these profound losses, she continued to maintain strong relationships with her surviving family members: son Andrew (Huajing) Maske of Las Vegas, Nevada; daughter Leah Price of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and son Matthew (LeJeane) Maske of Arvada, Colorado.

Celia Fay Moore Maske passed away on March 31st, 2026, at the age of 89, concluding a life marked by educational excellence, family devotion, and community service. Her memorial service was held at Horan and McConaty Funeral Service in Arvada, with family and friends gathering to celebrate a life well-lived. In keeping with her lifelong commitment to supporting others, memorial donations were directed to the Wheat Ridge Active Adult Center, ensuring that her legacy of service would continue to benefit the community she had served so faithfully.