Obituary

On Saturday, September 10, 2022, Rhonda Haug Vickers McClure, 79, left this world for her next adventure. She quietly passed away in hospice in Denver, CO due to complications resulting from a major automobile accident, occurring on August 18, with her husband in Cancun, Mexico. She is survived by her devoted husband, James McClure (his children Melissa, Streeter, Parker and spouse Ashley), her children Corie Vickers Rogers (Stuart), and Thomas “Bo” Vickers Jr. (Natalie), her grandchildren Beckett, Paxton, Carsyn, Emerson, Trip, Layla and Charlie, and her sisters Cyrilene Moxley and Sherri Mohr. She also had many nieces and nephews with whom she was very close. She is predeceased by her first husband, Thomas M. Vickers, and her parents Marguerite and Cyril B. Haug.

Rhonda was born the youngest of three on May 10, 1943 in St. Louis, MO. They moved to Wichita, Kansas when she was very young, and she attended North High School. As an adult, Rhonda (known by many as “Red” for the fiery red hair) enjoyed an active, grand life, filled with love and friends. After a five year on-again, off-again courtship, she married Thomas (Tommy) Vickers on Jan. 17, 1969 in Wichita, KS. They had two children, Corie and Bo, whom they raised with equal parts devotion, patience, and playfulness. They lived a life chock-full of throwing dinner parties and attending golf tournaments. The family spent most summers at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Rhonda loved to cook and play tennis and entertain and decorate. And if it was at all creative, she could master it, and she’d proceed without hesitation or doubt. Her artistic confidence was invulnerable. She could write, paint, sew, design, draw, create, envision, sculpt with clay, wire, in marble, wax, you name it.

Rhonda and Tommy moved to Denver, CO in 1984; and during this time, she was able to turn her attention to her art more frequently. When she wasn’t writing, sculpting, or accompanying Tommy to Bronco games, Rhonda spent many hours volunteering at The Gathering Place. In classic Rhonda style, always passionate for a cause she held dear, she became Chair of the Board of Directors for a time there as well. In 1989, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and immediately stepped foot on a path of fortitude and tenacity. She triumphed in her fight against the disease, traveling through it with her signature humor and resilience. Thankfully, it never returned. In the last two decades of her life, she was nationally recognized for her incredible achievements in art, particularly her sculpture in bronze. Her pieces can be seen at the Broadmoor Galleries, Castle Pines Golf Club, as well as several other galleries in the region, and in many private collections around the country. Her bronzes reflect the light-heartedness she carried with her through her days.

She also enjoyed their social life, had great skill in entertaining, and would make each and every guest feel instantly at ease. Whether it was her kids returning home from school with 5 friends for the weekend, or her husband bringing the foursome back for dinner after a day on the links, she could improvise without missing a beat. They’d think she’d been expecting them all week. She remained solidly by Tommy’s side for 41 years, when he lost his own battle with cancer in March of 2010.

Rhonda was fortunate to find the second love of her life in James McClure. They were brought together at the perfect time by old friends Vicki and Nolan Luke. They fell madly in love and married in Denver, CO on Oct 23, 2013. It was an exuberant romance, full of travel and discovery and dancing in the kitchen. They split their time between their two homes in Castle Pines, CO and Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, Mexico, both beautiful spots that they enjoyed adding their personal touches to, up until her final days. When at their seaside home, Rhonda discovered her love for the ocean breeze, perfected her huevos rancheros, and reveled in a few quieter days between their spontaneous adventures. Their birthdays were 6 days apart, and they had a tradition of doing something fantastic together to celebrate each year. One year it was tandem skydiving, one year they traveled to Buenos Aires to learn to tango in the streets. Rhonda’s love of life was infectious, and she found in Jim an adoring and willing participant. It was a beautiful decade.

She was well known for her sense of humor and irreverence, and there wasn’t a joke she hadn’t heard and retold even better. Her closest friends remained a top priority until her final days, and she could always find a reason to celebrate with them! When Rhonda was around, there was music, a drink in your hand, and plenty of laughter. To call her fun-loving and vivacious would be an understatement. Rhonda lived her life to the fullest. She was strong-willed, and loved fiercely. She will be missed by many.

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.”

A Celebration of Life will be held on October 23, 2022, at 2:30pm at                                                                                   Cielo at Castle Pines  485 W. Happy Canyon Rd., Castle Rock, CO 80108. 

*Please rsvp on this site if you will be able to attend.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the memorial fund established in her name, and created to support arts education, in honor of Rhonda's love of all things artistic.

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