Page 21 - 7 July 2012

Connie Golden June 7, 1935 - June 24, 2012
Constance L. “Connie” Golden passed away at her home in Norman, Oklahoma, on June 24, 2012, at the age of 77 surrounded by the most important people in her life.
For more than 30 years, Connie was the owner and publisher of Speedhorse, Inc. After acquiring the company in 1977, she transformed the struggling, indebted publication into a strong voice in the Quarter Horse Racing industry. In her role as publisher, Connie felt a deep responsibility to use the publication’s platform to make the industry healthier. Her dedication and vision led her to tackle several important issues that made a major impact on the industry’s development.
Connie began her career in business in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the 1960s, opening Connie Golden Real Estate. Later she worked in residential property development in both Albuquerque and El Paso, Texas. Connie’s global perspective was shaped by early international experiences. She was a member of the first graduating class (1953) of the Central High School in Bushy Park, London, England. Later in the 1950s, she moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with her then-husband, the late Julius Golden, who was covering South America for the Associated Press. In Brazil, Connie launched a successful modeling career and taught English and American Literature at the University of Brasil.
For the last 14 years of her life, Connie served as a model for how people with severe COPD could still live productive and fulfilling lives. Connie worked fulltime until her retirement in 2010. She also exercised daily and was also a consummate and very talented painter. Most of all Connie was an extremely dedicated and loving mother of two and grandmother of two. She is survived by her son Andrew M. Golden, her daughter Juliet D. Golden, family member Tadeusz Wlodarczak, granddaughters Gentry Ryan Golden and Andrea Morgan Golden, and “her kitty” Zoey. Connie was committed to supporting a broad range of charities close to her heart. In recent years she developed an interest in the power of community and educational gardens to promote good nutrition, better ties to the earth and the community, and for their potential in job creation. Private funeral services were held on June 27, 2012. In lieu of flowers gifts should be made to: The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, PO Box 270968, Oklahoma City, OK 73137-0968. Please mark gifts “In Memory of Constance Golden.”