A celebration of life for Brighton High School counselor Vicki Lynn Powell will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 21, at Darrell Howe Mortuary, 1701 S. South Boulder Road, Lafayette.

Powell, a Brighton High School counselor, died Dec. 23 in Denver. She died of complications after a short stay in an area hospital for a short-term illness.

Powell was born Sept. 2 1961, in Brighton. Her family moved to Boulder County, where spent her life. She graduated from Centaurus High School in 1978 and was an NCAA Division I track-and-field athlete at Utah State.

Powell was a counselor at BHS for 21 years and was a track-and-field coach for more than 30 years. She earned recognition as Boulder County’s Track and Field Honorary Coach of the Year in 2022.

Her obituary said Powell cared deeply about people. She loved animals, angels, coaching, her home on Baseline Road, game nights, watching movies, the Denver Broncos, scratch tickets and spending time with friends. 

Her grandmother, Myra Anderson; her mother, Ilene Powell; and her brother, Phillip Powell, preceded her in death.

Survivors include her niece and nephews, Billie Rae, Danny, and Cody Powell; a close circle of friends whom she cherished like sisters; and her two beloved cats, Smokey and Baby J, who have been adopted into a new loving home. 

The celebration of life program is open to the public. It’s an open-house gallery walk with no formal start time. Parking is available in the back parking lot or on nearby streets.