Connie Louise Albright passed peacefully at home Friday, January 2, 2026, in Stilwell, Kansas. She was born in Enid Oklahoma on March 29, 1936, to Dorothy Clay Gosney and Joseph William Deal, Jr.
Connie grew up in Laramie, Wyoming, with her younger sister, Kate, where her father ran the Deal Lumber Company. Connie’s love for skiing began in Wyoming where she skied with her parents and her beloved older cousin Kelly Oliver. The family moved to Wichita, Kansas when Connie was in the 5th grade. Connie enjoyed participating in Camp Fire Girls, family outings, teaching swimming lessons, life guarding and student government.
Connie’s father unexpectedly passed away when she was 16. As a way to process their loss, Connie’s mom took the two girls on a trip to Hawaii, where they embraced their new identity as the “Deal Girls”.
A 1954, graduate of Wichita East High School, Connie attended the University of Kansas, where she pledged Kappa Alpha Theta. Connie loved being a Theta and remained loyal to her sorority for the rest of her life attending conferences and writing endless recommendations for young women.
Connie graduated from KU in 1958, with a degree in Apparel Merchandising and shortly thereafter moved to Colorado to be able to ski and work. She loved to say she chose to leave Kansas to get away from the heat, the wind, and the tornadoes. In Denver she became a buyer for the Children’s Department at the Denver Dry Goods Department Store and she modeled women’s shoes. She spent nearly every weekend in the mountains pursuing her love of skiing and hiking.
While living in Denver Connie renewed a high school friendship with Dennis Albright shortly after he had moved to Denver. He became the love of her life, and they married on September 17, 1961, a marriage of over 60 years until Dennis passed on June 20, 2022.
Connie loved gardening and she and Dennis enjoyed hiking, camping, skiing, going to rodeos and imparting their love of the mountains and the West to their children Stephanie and Chris. They were active members of their church, St Philip and St James Episcopal Church and then The Light of Christ Anglican. Connie was involved with the Altar Guild and Women’s Ministry.
Connie was hit with double vision in 1971, and at the time the cause was unknown, but it ceased after 9 months. She was eventually diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1987, and it was determined the double vision was the beginning of her MS. True to her passion for life, positivity and determination to not be deterred by the “facts”, Connie refused to “be” MS or a wheelchair and remained as active as she could. As their health declined, she and Dennis moved to Stilwell, Kansas to live with their daughter Stephanie and her husband Matt until she passed.
Connie is survived by her daughter Stephanie Stinson (Matt), son Chris Albright (Laura), her grandchildren Sarah Vander Laan (Zach), Liz Cole (Adam), Steven Stinson (Claire), Autumn Dalager, Gabby Stinson, Ben Albright (Ronnie), Duncan Albright and her 15 great grandchildren, her brother-in-law Ted Albright, her cousin Kelly Oliver, as well as nieces, nephews and their families. Connie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Dennis and her sister Kate this past May.
Connie’s Celebration of Life will be on Friday, February 6, at 2:00 p.m. at Christ Church Anglican 5500 W. 91st St. Overland Park, Kansas 66207.
VIEW SERVICE: Connie Albright Celebration of New Life
She will be interred at St. Philips and St. James Episcopal Church in Denver, Colorado at a date to be determined.
