 | | | January 18, 1937 - August 10, 2024 | | | | | | Helen Constance "Connie" Chandler Mueser passed away peacefully on August 10, 2024. She was born on January 18, 1937, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Harry W. Chandler and Helen Mae Merrill Chandler. Connie was the eldest of five children, with siblings Craig, Steven, Douglas and Hal Jr., who passed away in infancy in 1938.
From an early age, Connie was a voracious reader, walking regularly to the library to check out the maximum number of books, then returning days later to resupply. She graduated from East High School, where she sang in their acclaimed choir. Connie continued her education at Brigham Young University, earning a degree in English literature with a minor in history. She also spent a year studying at the University of Utah, fostering a lifelong love of learning.
After college, Connie and her roommate, Jess Nourse, moved to San Francisco in an intrepid search for new opportunities. She worked as a legal secretary, with phenomenal skills, where the finished product would be vastly improved over any original dictation as her writing skills were unmatched. It was essential that she typed so well because we could barely read her tight and microscopic handwriting.
In San Francisco, in an effort to meet new people, she joined the Young Republicans, and it was there that she met William "Bill" H. Mueser, Jr., a civil engineer. Though opposites in many ways, he doted on her for the next 60 years. Connie's mother famously remarked, "If this doesn't work out, you know we are keeping Bill." The couple married on July 7, 1962, raising two daughters, Heidi Michele and Erica "Riki" Sorenson.
In 1969, Connie and Bill settled in Moraga, California, where they became integral members of the community. Bill served on the planning commission, while Connie contributed to the establishment of the Moraga Library and served on the school board. She was a full-time mother who volunteered actively in the schools and remained politically engaged throughout her life, evolving quickly from Republican to staunch Democrat. Connie was an early advocate for women's rights, civil rights, and LGBTQ rights, inspiring her daughters to be accepting, independent and strong.
After her children were grown, Connie returned to work as a paralegal and office manager, where her intelligence, organizational skills, and ability to recognize talent made her an invaluable asset. Upon retirement, she returned to her books, volunteering at the Burckhalter Elementary School library in Oakland for nearly two decades, where she shared her love of literature with young children. She continued as an active member of her local book group for decades.
Connie had an abiding faith, which was central to her life. Raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, she later found a spiritual home with Bill at the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church. She cherished the service opportunities, social connections, weekly sermons, and the church's remarkable choir.
Connie loved the symphony, ballet, opera, and theater. She was also an avid fan of the original Oakland Raiders, the Golden State Warriors, and Stanford Cardinal sports teams. Holidays were particularly important to her, and she is revered for her Christmas fudge, which she shared widely with neighbors and friends, and the rice pudding that remains a beloved Christmas Eve tradition.
In their retirement years, Connie and Bill traveled world-wide, ever planning their next sight-seeing/cultural adventure. France was Connie's favorite, so trips included a Paris layover whenever possible.
Connie was always kind and gracious, whip-smart, and keenly engaged in current events. She adored her grandchildren, Zachary, Kacey, and Michael. She was their biggest fan and best shuttle driver, and loved to spoil them whenever possible, with their favorite frozen waffles always on hand. Connie's daughters, Heidi and Riki, remember her as a model of independence, strength, gratitude, and love.
Connie is survived by her daughters, Heidi Michele Mueser and Erica "Riki" Mueser Sorenson; her son-in-law, Andrew Lee Sorenson; her grandchildren, Zachary William Sorenson, Kathryn "Kacey" Chandler Sorenson, and Michael Andrew Sorenson; her brother, Douglas Chandler; and sisters-in-law, Jaylene Chandler and Sharon Chandler. She will be interred in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband, Bill, near her brother Steve and her parents, at Wasatch Lawn Cemetery. |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA