Mary Elizabeth Pineda

Mary Elizabeth Pineda, 66, passed away unexpectedly on August 14, 2026, while vacationing in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Mary was born on January 2, 1960, in Muskegon, Michigan, to Albert and Eloise Engel. She grew up in the Muskegon and Cascade areas until she moved to Fort Collins to attend Colorado State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in animal science in 1984.

Though her degree was in animal science, she spent most of her working career in the landscape industry, working at various retail plant nurseries in Fort Collins. She possessed an amazing ability to transform the landscape into beautiful places to enjoy.

Mary’s many activities included establishing the Liberty Common School and serving on that Board, fostering her passion for gardening and horticulture, and giving life to one of her most impressive skill sets – art. Pointillism, welding, painting, wood working, tapestry, re-purposing – Mary had an intelligent eye for transforming the simple into beautiful, and the mundane into magnificent. Her breadth of general knowledge was impressive, engendered by the non-stop consumption of fiction and non-fiction books on everything from societal demographics to firearms and history. Mary was also an exceptional cook, often turning her gardening prowess into delectable meals for family and friends.

Her greatest passion, however, was “her three boys” (followed closely by the multitude of canines that graced our homes over the years). She loved, doted, spoiled, and found grace and happiness in their success, and never failed to make them a focus of her daily existence. She will be missed by all, but her many gifts will live on in all who were fortunate enough to share her journey.

Mary is survived by her husband, Andrew Pineda, their two sons Patrick and James, as well as siblings Joe (Doreen), Kate, and Jim (Kwan). She was preceded in death by her parents Albert (2013) and Eloise (2017) Engel. Mary is also survived by an expansive Pineda family, as well as nieces, nephews, and cousins hailing from the Engel, Bull, DeYoung, Strahle, Cavanagh, and Bielby arms of the family

A memorial celebration (through Goes Funeral Care) is pending. In lieu of flowers please consider donations in her name to any of these organizations: Animal Friends Alliance, Poudre Heritage Alliance, Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, Friends of the Gardens at Spring Creek, Land Conservancy of West Michigan.