Theresa Alan, a bright and beautiful soul, passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 53.

She was loving, brilliant, hilarious, and deeply feeling. Her imagination was her superpower, and her writing journey began at just nine years old with a self-published and self-illustrated novel about a ladybug and a dog who were inexplicably the same size and became the best of friends.

Theresa would go on to become a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of ten novels and novellas during the height of the chick-lit era. In 2004, she was named Colorado Romance Writers' Author of the Year, and she remained active in numerous thriving writing communities, both locally and online. A voracious reader, she devoured more than 100 books each year, sharing her thoughtful reviews on Goodreads, where many readers came to rely on her for their next great read.

She laughed easily and made others laugh often. She shared the same style of full-bodied laugh with her mom and sister, which involved throwing their heads back so hard they often hurt their heads—something that made them laugh even more. But only Theresa had those beautiful dimples in both cheeks—as her late Grandma Doris called them from the moment she was born, "kisses from the angels."

From her father, she inherited a deep curiosity and a lifelong love of learning. Theresa graduated magna cum laude from the University of Iowa with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Journalism and English. She went on to earn a Master's degree in Mass Communication and Media Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her thesis focused on the media's coverage of crimes against children, exploring the intersection of race, gender, and income in how stories were told.

She cared deeply about the world and always made sure to tell you more than you ever wanted to know about the news. A passionate activist for justice, Theresa started attending protests in her early twenties and participated in her final one just two months before her passing.

She loved to travel and wove her many adventures into her fiction. She also loved to dance—she started out learning from her Aunt Carolyn Harwel as a child, and choreographed routines in the basement with her sister as a preteen. As a freshman at Glenbrook South High School, she made the varsity poms squad, eventually becoming team captain of the award-winning team that competed at both state and national levels.

Born and raised in Glenview, Illinois, Theresa moved to Denver, Colorado in her twenties and made her home there. She will be deeply and forever missed by her mother, Evelyn Alan; father, Don Alan; stepfather, Phil Zorc; sister, Sara Alan; brother-in-law, Brian McManus; niece, Emerson; grandmother, Dorothy Zorc; and by her many aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and communities.

Theresa battled depression and alcoholism for much of her adult life. But she worked steadily and determinedly toward healing. In the end, she was sober, hopeful, and—true to form—working on her next novel. We are so deeply proud of her.

A celebration of Theresa's life will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025 at Fleming Mansion, 1510 S Grant St, Denver, CO 80210. The event will begin at 2:00 p.m. Mountain with a memorial service, followed by a time for sharing food, stories, and connection. We warmly invite all who knew and loved her to join us. Please email the family at theresaalancol@gmail.com if you are planning to attend.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Theresa's name to The Gathering Place at tgpdenver.org , an organization for individuals and children experiencing poverty.