In memory of Cee; a post from Chris

Today’s Square Post will follow in a few minutes, first a post from Chris

It was November 7th, 2025 yesterday.  Cee Neuner would have been 65.  One of her blogging friends, Terri Webster Schrandt, posted a wonderful birthday message to her.  Thank you, Terri, from the bottom of my heart.  I’m sorry you never got to meet her in person.  She enjoyed your friendship and having you as a blogging buddy.

I’m Cee’s wife of 35 years, Chris Donner, and I want to tell you a little bit about your friend.  For those who knew her, here’s some of the things you didn’t know about her.

We loved hiking and camping when we were younger.  We would camp year round in the Colorado Rockies.  We even camped in a tent in the snow!  Our favorite place was a campground high up in the Rockies, sitting at 9600 feet (almost 3 km) above sea level. It was a gorgeous place to be, quiet and beautiful.  Cee loved the night skies.  We’d sit around the campfire talking for hours and after the fire had burned down to embers, we’d sit back and watch the stars.  There were no city lights to dull the night sky so the stars were legion, dazzling.

We loved hiking and were always looking for a new trail to try out.  The only problem was that we had radically different styles of hiking.  I liked heading out, knowing where I was going and determined to reach the trail end.  I carried my map and compass, emergency gear and plenty of water, a necessity for avoiding altitude sickness.  Cee’s style of hiking was more in the “Oh, look!” variety, as in, “Oh, look at that tree”.  “Oh, look at that flower!”  “Oh, look at that deer!”  She was always wandering off the trail.  I’d hike out for 20 minutes, then circle back to find her.

The worst part of hiking was that she was working in geotech at the time and had a fascination with rocks.  She was always finding new samples that just HAD to come home with us.  I was, of course, the designated pack mule.  By the time we got back to the car I was about twenty pounds heavier and in danger of having my pants (trousers) falling down around my knees.  And this was before digital photography, otherwise I’d be lugging around camera equipment as well.

When digital photography became a “thing”, you know what happened then.  Her love of photography was legendary.  I can’t begin to count the number of cameras and lenses she had through the years.  She still had one more lens on her wish list, a 400mm telephoto, but she became too weak to be able to handle the weight of it, so it still sits on her wishlist.  If she were here and healthy I’d be saving up for the 800mm lens.  She didn’t just do macros, you know!

These days are hard for me.  Monday was my birthday.  One year ago yesterday I was sitting with our family doctor and she was telling me it was time for hospice.  Cee had been largely comatose that week, and barely acknowledged me on my birthday.  But on this day last year she came alive and was talkative and happy for her birthday.  It was breaking my heart to know that tomorrow I would have to tell her it was time to let go.  There was no more healing, no more coming back from the illness that had robbed her of her body and her love of being outdoors with a camera in her hand.  So on the 8th I told her it was time for hospice.  On the 15th she came home to die.

I know everyone was shocked when Becky posted the news.  The responses from all of you who loved her through the years were incredible, warm and loving.  I was so glad that she was able to see all of them.  It became a living memorial, and she was touched beyond any words I can use to describe her reactions.

So thank you again to all of you for your love and remembrances.   I know she is smiling and thinking of each one of you.

Love and hugs,

Chris

PS And a note from Becky, thanks Chris for these beautiful words and great photographs. Everyone sends their love to you. Your wife was incredible, and we all miss her loads. She still appears regularly in people’s posts. Talking of which thank you again to Dan Antion and Marsha Ingrao for organising yesterday’s 1Day4Cee.