Colleen Ciochetti
(nee Smith) was born in Lillooet, BC on
May 2, 1973 and grew up at Summit Pass Ranch on Munson Road. A firecracker of a kid that adored animals and never tired of playing dress-up with her dolls and cats. She excelled in the arts and dancing but was equally at home strapping a saddle onto her favorite horse Archie. During her high school years she worked at Lou’s Drive Inn and made many friends there along the way. Colleen was part of the cheerleading squad and could be found dancing and cheering the basketball team to victory. She graduated from LSS in 1991.
Colleen left for Kamloops to attend Thompson Rivers University and then moved on to Chilliwack, which eventually became her home. She would meet her husband, Brent, and marry on August 26, 2000 in a lovely garden ceremony. Wyatt (9) and Gabrielle (7) would be the amazing result of this union and were her endless source of pride and joy.
Colleen’s passion for photography allowed her to touch many people’s lives with her gifted eye and natural talent for setting the perfect scene. It was rare not to see her framing out a shot of the children with Nikon in hand, capturing the beauty of a single moment in time.
Colleen passed away peacefully on December 12, 2013 at the age of forty years, with her family by her side. Colleen left us with many warm-hearted memories and she will forever be a model to anyone facing extreme adversity in their lives.
We shall love and miss her always.