UNITED STATES NEWS

Bea Romer, Colorado first lady who championed state-funded preschool, dies at 93

Sep 12, 2023, 10:15 AM

FILE - Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, left, and his wife first lady Bea Romer talk to reporters after a s...

FILE - Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, left, and his wife first lady Bea Romer talk to reporters after a speech on Friday, Feb. 6, 1998, in a Durango, Colo. hotel. In a press release from Michele Ames Consulting, Bea died on Sept. 10, 2023. She was 93. (AP Photo/The Durango Herald, Jerry McBride, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/The Durango Herald, Jerry McBride, File)

DENVER (AP) — Former Colorado first lady Bea Romer, who helped establish public funding for preschool to help the state’s neediest children in the 1980s, has died. She was 93.

Romer, the wife of former Democratic Gov. Roy Romer, championed early-childhood education nationwide throughout her life. She died in her daughter’s Colorado home on Sunday after a “long illness,” according to a statement from her family. Specifics of the illness were not provided.

The Colorado Preschool Project, as it was called then, was an early incarnation of what’s steadily grown into a universal preschool program for Colorado children that launched in 2023.

“Children were the light of her life. Nothing compares to the smile on Bea’s face in the presence of a child. She never stopped thinking about how to make the world better for them,” said Liz Romer, one of Romer’s seven children.

Romer was born in 1929 in Laramie, Wyoming. Her mother and her father, a pastor, eventually moved to Denver where she graduated from Colorado State University in 1951 with a degree in childhood development.

In 1964, Romer co-founded a still-running preschool and kindergarten, going on to co-found a primary school and teacher prep program in Denver. When her husband became governor in 1987, she brought her early childhood expertise to the office of first lady, seeking to support children who were most likely to fall through the cracks.

“Way before I understood the importance of early childhood education, Bea was already leading the charge. … Her leadership made possible all of the improvements in the childcare system and the preschool system that we see across our state,” said Barbara O’Brien, founder of the Colorado Children’s Campaign.

Romer served on eight national boards to improve early childhood education, including the Family Resource Coalition of America and the National Association for the Education of Young Children, according to a news following her death.

Beyond education, Romer visited near every continent save Antarctica, helmed a number of book clubs, and found joy roaming the Denver Art Museum, her family said.

Romer is survived by her husband and her seven children, along with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

United States News

In this Sept. 15, 1966, file photo, then Georgia State Sen. Jimmy Carter hugs his wife, Rosalynn, a...

Wills Rice

Jimmy Carter admirers across generations celebrate the former president’s 99th birthday

Attendees on Saturday saw tributes to Jimmy Carter and competed in rounds of trivia that highlighted underappreciated details about his life.

7 minutes ago

FILE - Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., leaves the chamber at the Capitol in Washingt...

Associated Press

U.S. government avoids shutdown hours before deadline

The threat of a federal government shutdown ended late Saturday hours before a midnight deadline and sent the measure to President Joe Biden.

2 hours ago

Associated Press

UN to vote on resolution to authorize one-year deployment of armed force to help Haiti fight gangs

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.N. Security Council is scheduling a vote Monday on a resolution that would authorize a one-year deployment of an international force to help Haiti quell a surge in gang violence and restore security so the troubled Caribbean nation can hold long-delayed elections. The U.S.-drafted resolution obtained by The […]

4 hours ago

Associated Press

The police chief who led a raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended

The police chief who led a highly criticized raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended, the mayor confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday. Marion Mayor Dave Mayfield in a text said he suspended Chief Gideon Cody on Thursday. He declined to discuss his decision further and did not say whether Cody was […]

7 hours ago

FILE - Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., listens to fellow speakers before President Joe Biden speaks on ...

Associated Press

Rep. Jamaal Bowman triggered a fire alarm in a House office building amid voting on a funding bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman acknowledged triggering a fire alarm Saturday in one of the U.S. Capitol office buildings as lawmakers scrambled to pass a bill to fund the government before the midnight shutdown deadline. The fire alarm sounded out around noon in the Cannon House Office Building and prompted a building-wide evacuation […]

7 hours ago

Associated Press

Federal agency sues Chipotle after a Kansas manager allegedly ripped off an employee’s hijab

A federal agency has sued the restaurant chain Chipotle, accusing it of religious harassment and retaliation after a manager at a Kansas location forcibly removed an employee’s hijab, a headscarf worn by some Muslim women. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged that in 2021, an assistant manager at a Chipotle […]

8 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Home moving relocation in Arizona 2023...

BMS Moving

Tips for making your move in Arizona easier

If you're moving to a new home in Arizona, use this to-do list to alleviate some stress and ensure a smoother transition to your new home.

...

Ignite Digital

How to unlock the power of digital marketing for Phoenix businesses

All businesses around the Valley hopes to maximize their ROI with current customers and secure a greater market share in the digital sphere.

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

Bea Romer, Colorado first lady who championed state-funded preschool, dies at 93