Constance (Connie) Monroe Mehaffie passed away in the early hours of February 20, 2026, surrounded by her family and beloved stuffed toy Kitty Ross from her childhood. In addition to being a crazy cat lady, Connie was creative, artistic, smart as a whip, a little bit naughty, and a devoted friend, mother, and grandmother. She loved to read, do New York Times puzzles, and take long walks. She was active in many clubs with her dear friends, including So-So Club, book club, and Tuesday afternoon bridge. One of her favorite joys was laughing and being silly with her friends. Her father shared with her his passion for the University of Michigan, especially the football team. Go Blue!

Connie lost her husband Hugh of 61 years in January 2025. They shared a love of entertaining, glorious Lake Michigan sunsets, playing Jeopardy, and traveling to Colonial Williamsburg. She is survived by daughter Betsy Capelli, her husband Craig, their daughters Katie and Ashley; daughter Amy Schalk, her husband Todd, their son Aidan; son Fred Mehaffie and his wife Ashley Malcolm; son George Mehaffie, his wife Val, their children Nathan and Jocelyn; and her cat Gracie.

A lifelong Kalamazooan, Connie generously gave her time to various community organizations. Her two favorites were the USTA Boys 16-18 Nationals and the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA). She relished running the Pro Shop at the Nationals, meeting the parents of future tennis stars, and designing iconic “Nats at the Zoo” T-shirts. At the KIA, she worked in the Gallery Shop, where she enjoyed seeing the latest creative pursuits of fellow artists. She also supported many local organizations, including Loaves & Fishes, Kalamazoo Nature Center, Kalamazoo Animal Rescue, and Planned Parenthood.

She was vibrant, clever, kind, energetic with an irreverent sense of humor until Parkinsonism entered the scene and waged war on her body and spirit. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or the Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease Research.