Berneice Mae Major (Anderson) 90, was born September 20, 1924 in Denver and grew up on the north shore of Sloan’s Lake. She graduated from North High School in 1941, attended University of Denver and worked at Mountain Bell. She also played the organ for church services and volunteered helping wounded soldiers at Buckley Air Force Base until the end of WWII. She married Jack Major on October 5, 1946 and they remained in the Denver area. Berneice passed away December 2, 2014 surrounded by love from her surviving husband and four children, Carol (Frank) Barnard, Jack (Mariann) Major Jr., Annette (Geoff) Garner and Tom (Brenda) Major, 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Her life was full of activities: volunteering as a 4-H Leader, Mountain View Elementary’s PTA, and involvement with various philanthropic organizations. She supplemented the family income by teaching piano lessons and sewing draperies. Berneice had a love for the outdoors and animals. There was no time in her life that she did not have a dog and/or cat and many of her pets were strays that found her. Summer weekends and vacations were spent camping and enjoying nature.
In 1970, she and Jack started Major Heating and Air Conditioning, a business still on-going today. The beautiful flower gardens surrounding her home and the retail garden center she opened in the 1970’s and ran for several years are testimony to her love of gardening. Berneice welcomed the “computer age” and was quick to integrate computers into her life and businesses.
Berneice’s passion for the arts was expressed through her various art media productions and musical skills on the piano and organ. She derived great pleasure from art museums and live musical performances. Berneice always had a project in process: sewing, crocheting, baking and decorating cakes or helping out friends in need. All that knew her miss her sense of humor and love of life.
Services for Berneice will be held at 3:00 on Monday, December 8, 2014 at Mount Vernon Event Center, 17173 Mount Vernon Road, Golden, CO 80401. The family wishes to thank Collier Hospice Center for the care its staff gave Bernice. Donations may be made in Bernice’s memory to benefit Collier Hospice Center. Donations can be made payable to Lutheran Medical Center Foundation and mailed to 8300 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033. Online donations may be made at supportluthern.org
