Helen Eleni (Theos) Stelter
Obituaries
Daily Sentinal page 6A - May 25, 2022
Helen Eleni
(Theos) Stelter
November 5, 1948 - May 17, 2022
Eleni passed on Tuesday
May 17th, 2022 after a long
struggle with dementia.
She had in her life been
a professional singer,
chef, mentor to many, a
storyteller par excellence,
and a bon vivant. There never was a party where she
didn’t make a grand entrance and thoroughly enjoy
herself. She was proud of her Greek heritage and loved
educating all those around her about the small nation.
Born in Grand Junction on November 5, 1948 to Gus
and Sophia Theos, she grew up a proud descendant of
sheep ranchers and priests. The family spent summers at
Hubbard Park outside of Paonia, where Gus summered
his sheep. After her parents divorced she split her time
between Boston and Cape Cod, and the summer ranch
outside of Paonia.
She graduated with honors from CU-Boulder in 1972,
took her GRE exam while traveling in Europe with her
high school sweetheart and first husband, Fred Browne,
and enrolled at Emerson College. Eleni graduated in
1974 with her Master’s in Literature and Interpretation
of Theatre, which is about as fitting a degree as one
could imagine for someone with such a flair for the
dramatic. She and Fred later divorced, and she joined
her sisters in Vail, where she was the star singer at
Kostas Greek Taverna.
Eleni moved to Aspen to start her own restaurant and
on one fateful Halloween she met her husband Rick; him
dressed as a red devil, and her as Indira Gandhi. Their
romance was total, and soon children arrived. They
relocated to Paonia, which was almost inconceivable to
her, but the small mountain town grew on her and was a
great place to raise their family.
She and Rick had three sons: Deno, Harry, and
Demitri, whom she loved with all her heart and was
always there for advice, whether they wanted it or not.
She pushed them to excel, and was endlessly proud of
their academic, theatrical, and (albeit limited) athletic
successes.
Eleni ran her catering business first out of their home
and later out of a small space in Hotchkiss behind
Julie Littlefield’s art gallery, where she catered many
a Primrose Lane dinner. In 2004, after years of people
pleading, she and Rick opened up Eleni’s Uptown in
Paonia, followed the next year by Eleni’s Downtown in
Hotchkiss. Eleni and her friend and business partner,
Elisa Greco, created fabulous meals and made great
memories for all who visited.
She is survived by her husband Rick, sons Deno, and
Demitri, her sister Katie and half-sister Kandi, and
many nieces and nephews. Several of the high school
students she trained at her restaurant in Paonia have
continued on to become executive chefs in Vail and
Cape Cod, and she couldn’t be prouder.
She and her husband Rick lived an adventurous life,
building businesses and restaurants together, traveling
and enjoying life. Her days were cut short and they
missed out on going to Greece together.
Eleni was a fierce woman, with fierce love for her kids,
travel, food, and always up for a good time. She took big
bites of life and never feared to risk it all, whether over a
political fight, or starting a new business on a shoestring
budget with only hope to support it. She will be sorely
missed by her husband, her sons, and her many friends
all over the world.
If you would like to upload pictures or videos for
her memorial video, please visit the following website:
https://tinyurl.com/EleniTheosStelter
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to
the charity of your choice. As a lifelong feminist and
proud Democrat, donations to Planned Parenthood,
local libraries, or scholarship funds would make her
proud.
Roy C.
“Frank” Shult
