August 30, 1938 – April 3, 2026

Lou Ella Femia, 87 – beloved wife, stepmother, and grandmother – of Ouray, Colorado, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home during the early hours of Friday, April 3, 2026, in the company of loved ones.

Lou was born on August 30, 1938, in Covina, California, to William and Erna Kaiser. After finishing school, Lou worked as an administrative assistant for Aerojet in southern California. She stayed in that role for 42 years, finishing her long and productive career for Northrop Grumman.

While at a pool party with her childhood best friend, Lou was introduced to Don Femia, who’s roommate was dating Lou’s best friend at the time. Lou and Don quickly fell for each other, and were married on September 7, 1962 at the age of 24. Lou and Don remained happily married for 60 years, until Don’s death in July of 2023.

Don and Lou loved going on cross-country road trips. On one of their adventures, they drove through the San Juan mountains and fell in love with Ouray. They decided then and there to retire there one day. They purchased a home, and Lou was transferred to the Colorado Springs office in 1989. She worked in Colorado Springs for 10 years and spent the weekends in Ouray with Don. After Lou’s retirement in 1999 she lived in Ouray full time until her death.

Anybody lucky enough to be loved by Lou knows that she was a kind, passionate woman, with a smile and personality that would light up a room. One of her life passions was playing the piano, and she graced the community with her musical talents every Sunday morning at the local Baptist church. A second was her love for air travel. Unbeknownst to many, Lou had her pilots’ license and loved the freedom of the air. During her travels, Lou visited every state, except for Alaska, and her favorite city to visit was Bayfield, Wisconsin (move aside, Paris) – often speaking fondly of the fruit trees and beautiful Lake Superior.

Lou was preceded in death by her loving husband, Don (2023), her father, William (1983), and mother, Erna (1984). Lou is survived by her stepson Chris Beierwaltes (Birgit), and their two children, Daniel (Jordan) and Alex.

A memorial service in Lou’s honor will be held at 10 a.m. on June 26, 2026, at the Ouray Baptist Church. Lou’s family and friends look forward to honoring a life well lived and loved with all who attend.

Ouray County Plaindealer • 2026