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   It was a startling image - an old woman being dragged to the curb of Tejon Street by two cops, an ugly road-rash welt on her leg.

   For some, the removal of the peace demonstrator from the 2007 St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Colorado Springs inspired cries of police brutality, while others wanted to know why that short, silverhaired lady seemed so stubborn and angry.

   That woman, Elizabeth Fineron, 66, died Wednesday. Her death brought an end to decades of service to the homeless, church, schoolchildren, peace and community health.

   She apparently died in her sleep from complications of diabetes and heart disease, said Stephen Handen, a longtime friend who served the homeless with her as part of Bijou Community.

   Those who knew her best say that image of Fineron being dragged from the parade was telling because it demonstrated her passion and determination. But it was unfortunate, they say, because it made her seem so confrontational. Not that she was afraid of a good fight, mind you.

   "She was a feisty little Irish gal," Handen said.

   The Chicago native moved to Colorado Springs in the mid-1980s. She was a nun and schoolteacher who left the vocation but never left the Catholic Church.

   She moved here to work with Bijou Community, an organization that helped found the Marian House Soup Kitchen and other services for the poor and homeless. As a resigned nun, she wasn't much better off financially than those she served.

   "She was a poor woman. She lived on Social Security," said Handen. "But she was rich in friends and what she did with her life."

   She served many years on the board of directors of Peak Vista Community Health Centers, and as a member of the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission.

   "She was a strong, dedicated, persevering person who really walked her talk," said Jeff Briggs, executive director of the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission. "She's a peace activist, so she had strong convictions, and she was willing to stand up for them."

   Injustice, war and poverty motivated Fineron to act.

   "She had a limited income and limited physical capacity. But even though she had these impediments, she was always searching her soul for how she could make a difference," said Eric Verlo, a fellow peace activist who was arrested with Fineron at the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

   The morning of March 17, 2007, she called Verlo to say she didn't feel up to walking in the parade, he said, so he talked her into riding in his truck and waving to the crowd.

   But when police stopped their anti-war demonstration, she slipped out of the truck and demanded to know why. Verlo said that seeing a small, older woman who relied on a cane confront what she perceived as injustice, and sacrifice her body to do so, is to be admired, whether you agreed with her politics or not.

   Charges were eventually dropped against Fineron and Verlo in November, but she was stung by threatening hate mail she received after the arrest.

   Fineron was determined to use her life to make a difference, and her friends say she succeeded.

   "Elizabeth certainly lived up to her vision," Handen said.

   Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.

http://www.gazette.com/articles/activist_35601___article.html/community_talk.html

But for Fineron, standing up for what she believed in was nothing new. She was a school teacher, and early on, a nun. She was an advocate for the poor, and fought to give them health care. And, of course, she was a peace activist and hard-working member of the Colorado Springs Justice and Peace Commission.

Fineron, 66, was found dead in her apartment Wednesday morning by a visiting nurse. Fineron had only recently been released from the hospital after suffering side effects from an operation on her neck. She appears to have died in her sleep.

"She was a real example of someone who was a scrapper," activist Bill Sulzman says. "A real fighter both with causes and her health."

I have had a very rough medical month and a half. I went into Memorial with Pneumonia the second week of March. While there they planned for me to return to have the right Corroded Artery done and in the meanntime they sent me to Health South Rehab to work on balance. I stayed there a few days and returned home to wait two days to go back to Memorial for the surgery. I had the surgery and went home. At home I watched the hematoma on my neck get bigger and bigger and me get "dimmer and dimmer". On Monday I saw Dr. Carlson and the next day (April 1st) I returned to Memorial for him to go in and heal the INFECTION. While in my neck he accidentally cut into the artery. In order to stop the bleeding he had to cut the main nerve to my tongue. A plastic surgeon (Dr. James) came and sewed up the tongue. Then Dr. Carlson put a patch on the Artery. Two days later he went back in to remove the patch and put a vein from the leg. While in something happened to my vocal cord. They kept me in Memorial a few more days and sent me back to Health Care South. I just got home yesterday and will have home medical care for a while. I feel very withdrawn from every thing so if you want to call me or come visit me that would be terrificand I can get caught up.

September 4, 1941 - April 23, 2008. Elizabeth J. Fineron died peacefully in her sleep Wednesday, April 23, 2008, in her home. Elizabeth was born in Chicago, Illinois, September 4, 1941. She is preceded in death by her parents, Francis J. Fineron and Ida B. Fineron and a sister, Geraldine Fineron. She is survived by her brother, Francis (Joe) Fineron, and sister-in-law, Sharon Fineron, her nephews, Raymond Fineron, his wife Sue, and their two children Tyler and Shelby; Scott and his wife Julie; her niece, Sara, and daughter, Samantha Rose. She also leaves behind many cousins whom she loved very much. Elizabeth spent the first part of her life in Chicago where she taught elementary and special education. She moved to Colorado in 1982. The second part of her life was spent here in Colorado where she worked with and for the homeless. She was an active advocate for access for everyone to mental health care, and medical health care. She served nine years on the Board of Directors of Peak Vista Community Health working tirelessly for the medically underserved of Colorado Springs. For the past six years she has served on the Board of Directors for the Greenberg Center for Learning and Tolerance. She was a passionate woman who was not afraid to "Walk the talk." She will be missed by those who have had the privilege of knowing her. Memorial Services will be held 2:00 p.m., Monday, April 28, 2008 at Bennett Hill Monastery, 2577 N. Chelton. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Peak Vista Community Health Center, the Mesa House or the Bijou House.

Elizabeth Fineron

Community activist 'walked her talk'