Constance Soden

Connie (Constance) Soden, 76, passed peacefully on January 20, 2025. Connie was born in Omaha, NE on May 15, 1948 to Justine (Taylor) and Jack (John Raymond) DeVoe. She was a graduate of Marian High School in Omaha, class of 1966. After high school she attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS where she met Jerry Soden in 1966. Connie and Jerry were married on May 24, 1969 at the St. Pius X Catholic Church in Omaha. They moved to Shawnee, KS where Connie worked at the Kansas University Medical Center (KUMC) in the head trauma unit and then began taking classes at Kansas University (KU) in Lawrence, KS in 1970. Connie graduated from KU in 1974 with a BS in Radiation Biophysics. 

Connie and Jerry moved to Albuquerque, NM in 1974 where Connie began working at the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) on Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) with assignments to various activities and projects including radiation health physics and other efforts. During that year the AEC functions at KAFB were transferred to the newly created Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) which was absorbed into the new Department of Energy (DOE) in 1977. 

In 1975, Connie and Jerry purchased vacant property in Las Huertas Canyon near the village of Placitas, NM. They began developing the land, including planting an orchard and building a house, which they lived in thereafter. In their “BC” (Before Children) days, Connie and Jerry were hot air balloon fans and obtained their hot balloon pilot’s licenses so they could enjoy flying together and with friends. In 1981, they began raising a family, welcoming three sons, Matt (Matthew), Justin, and Galen joyfully into their lives. 

Connie and Jerry became involved in the Las Huertas Community Ditch (LHCD) activities to which Connie contributed throughout her life in various ways, including being secretary of the LHCD commission. 

Connie retired from DOE in 2012 with 38 years of service to our country. 

Connie loved dogs and had a number of them including Airedale, Wire Fox, and Irish Terrier breeds. She groomed them and prepared several Airedales for American Kennel Club (AKC) competition shows to win their AKC purebred Terrier championship ratings. She loved gardening and created a beautiful flower garden just outside the kitchen window. She loved birds and installed several bird feeders and bird bathes in the flower garden to be able to watch the birds while working in the kitchen. She loved to cook and made excellent, nutritious meals for the family for many years. Family and family traditions were what mattered most to Connie. She loved being a mother, helping her three sons grow up and find their paths in life, and being a grandmother, spending much time with her two granddaughters. Connie was a strong individual who lived her life to the beat of her own drum. 

Connie was preceded in death by her parents, Justine and Jack DeVoe. She is survived by her husband, Jerry; three sons: Matt (Callie) of Magdalena, NM, Justin (Shannon) of Portland OR, and Galen (Kristen) of Albuquerque, NM; two granddaughters: Raelyn and Jade Soden; and three sisters: Suzanne Peters of Little River, KS, Michele Yanovich (Jeff) of Omaha, NE, and Amy Curtis, of Omaha, NE. 

A memorial service will be held on Monday, February 3, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at French Funerals on Lomas in Albuquerque, NM. 

A reception will be held at a residence in Albuquerque from 12:00 to 2:00 pm. Information about the reception will be provided at the memorial service. 

A memorial service and burial will held at a later date in St. John, KS. 

Should you wish to provide a memorial in Connie’s name, the family suggests The Albuquerque Christian Children’s Home, the Christian Relief Fund, or the Arthritis Foundation.