Vera "Colleen" Cannon

Oct 18, 1927 -

Feb 4, 2020

Vera "Colleen" Cannon, 92 years young, passed away on Feb. 4, 2020. Colleen was born on Oct. 18, 1927, in Spring City, Mo., to Fred and Margie Marshall. In February 1951, Colleen married her husband Leonard Cannon in Richmond, Calif. In 1969, Leonard and Colleen made the journey to Alaska with their family. Colleen worked for the U.S. Federal Court as a Federal Court Secretary until she retired in 1994.

Colleen was a member of the First Baptist Church of Anchorage, Anchorage Women's Club and the Anchorage Senior Center. Colleen loved to give back to her community. For more than 50 years Colleen served as a Sunday school teacher; more than 20 years volunteering at the Log Cabin Visitor Center; and cooked church dinner until the age of 82. After 17 years as a military wife, Colleen and family moved to Alaska, where she spent the next 51 years. Family and friends from around Alaska and the whole nation will miss her.

Colleen is preceded in death with her husband, Leonard Cannon; brother, Tom Marshall; and great-grandson, Caleb Arns. She is survived by her sons, Michael (Marie), Bruce (Sue) and Kevin (Shonda) Cannon; daughter, Cathy (Paul) Arns; sister, Beverly Masse; nine grandchildren, Kristin Cannon, Rebecca (Joel) Ebel, Elizabeth (Steven) Godsoe, Kimberly (Chris) Jorgenson, Samuel (Diane) Cannon, Joseph (Fahm) Arns, Joshua (Meg) Cannon, Tyler (Lexi) Cannon and Haylee Cannon; 12 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews around the country.

A service will be held on Feb. 13, 2020, at First Baptist Church of Anchorage at 2 p.m.; her son Reverend Bruce Cannon will be officiating. In lieu of flowers, please donate to LaVerne Griffin Youth Recreation Camp c/o Chugach Baptist Association, P.O. Box 230892 Anchorage, AK 99523. A burial will be at Fort Richardson National Cemetery in Spring 2020.