Sallie Jane Hahn, of Littleton, Colorado passed away on Monday September 30, 2024. She was 72 years old.

Sallie gained a deep love for the Western Slope of Colorado after her first year of college, while attending Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree at Colorado State University in Fort Collins studying Dance and Education. She studied dance in New York City at the Martha Graham School of Dance for many summers. She moved to Montrose, Colorado in 1975 and started the Montrose Dance Theatre, where she operated and taught for 15 years. She also choreographed and directed plays and musicals for the Magic Circle Players. Sallie was an avid runner with the San Juan Mountain Runners and completed several marathons, including the grueling Imogene Pass Run - twice.

Sallie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1991. She was determined to give back to her community, by co-founding the "Bosom Buddy" annual run. This run was initiated to raise funds for mammograms for women in need in the Montrose area. The run is still in existence today.

She gave up her dance studio and moved to Denver in 1995. She taught pre-kindergarten classes for 24 years. After she retired in 2019, Sallie continued to volunteer by reading to several classes weekly.

Besides children, Sallie had a profound love of nature, flowers, birds, and animals. She created beautiful flowerpots and baskets for her home as well as many that she gave away to family and friends.  She was a passionate reader and would read on her back deck while being visited daily by her hummingbirds.  She knew them so well that she could identify each of them. Of course, she named each of them too! Sallie walked every day for one hour around a lake near her home where she was often able to photograph hawks, herons and even an occasional cormorant.

Sallie was fiercely loyal to her family, friends, students, and her student's families. When they suffered, she suffered. When they rejoiced, she rejoiced. This best describes Sallie.

Sallie is survived by her son Cory Hahn, sisters Sue Bomar (DeWayne) and DeeDee Shulman (Mark), nephew Zach Shulman (Dana), niece Becky Braketa (Tyler), three grandnephews Danny Shulman, Jake and Teddy Braketa and grandniece Zoe Shulman. Sallie was preceded in death by her loving parents, Monnie and Don Walter.

May her memory be a blessing.

A memorial service and celebration of life will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Messiah Community Church, 1750 Colorado Boulevard, Denver, Colorado 80220.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program , the Food Bank of the Rockies , or a charity of your choice in Sallie's name.