Colleen “Cookie” Gay Sundstrom, 74, of Chestertown, Md., passed away on Oct. 21, 2023, several days after suffering a stroke at her home.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Dec. 15, at the Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River Church. A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring in South Dakota.

Colleen was born Sept. 18, 1949, to Lawrence and Gayle Sundstrom in Mitchell. She grew up in Letcher and Artesian, graduating in 1967 from Artesian High School. Colleen moved East after graduation to attend Vassar College in New York.

Colleen spent her adult life in the District of Columbia and Maryland, initially working in community projects and then computer programming. After completing her education at the University of Maryland, she worked in public health research at Howard University, and she concluded her working career as a civilian employee of the United States Army, specializing in human subject protection in medical research.

Colleen retired to Chestertown, Md., in 2013. In retirement, she shared her experience and knowledge as a volunteer instructor at the Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning, and she was active with The Samaritan Group, Chestertown River Arts, Friends of the Library, and the Kent County Democratic Party. She traveled widely and was a lifelong student of ethics, philosophy, art and art history.

Colleen is survived by her brothers, Mike Sundstrom of Edgemont and Bob (Hazel) Sundstrom of Sheldon, Iowa; her sister, Lola Shattuck of Seguin, Texas; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister and brother-in-law, Sally and Clarence Olson; and brothers, Ron Ryan and Curt and Marvin Sundstrom.