Last November, at age 92, Sally Peyton Blevins passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family. She began attending Cheley at the age of 10, traveling part of the way from Fort Collins by train with her brother, Ernest. While her true passions were horseback riding and riflery, she went on to become a Senior Chipeta hiking counselor.
Sally delighted her children with stories of climbing the Longs Peak steel cable route and summiting Little Matterhorn. She shared tales she heard from Ernie Altick, memories of her conversations with Jack, and stories of living in Snailers. Beyond camp, she also fenced and played tennis, always embracing challenge and adventure.
Inspired deeply by her Cheley experiences, Sally carried forward camp’s values and traditions throughout her life. She sent her four children to Cheley, who, in turn, sent their own children. One of her family’s favorite Christmas traditions was searching the tree branches on Christmas morning for the magical envelope that read, “You are going to Cheley!”
While her Cheley journey began in the summer of 1943, the summers her family spent at Cheley ultimately totaled more than forty. Sally cherished her time at camp, and we are grateful for the adventures, friendships, and life lessons Cheley gave her — gifts she passed down through generations.
During her final weeks, family members sang every camp song they could remember at her bedside. Being able to spend that precious time with her, especially staying with her through the nights, was a profound gift.
Her legacy lives on in stories told, songs sung, and summers remembered.
Donations in her memory were made to A Thousand Summers and No Ordinary Camps.
