Obituary: Savanna Ray Bristol

May 27, 1993 – Dec. 29, 2021

Savanna Ray Bristol was born in Glenwood Springs and passed at her home in Durango. 

She grew up and attended school in her hometown of Carbondale, where she graduated from Roaring Fork High School. In 2019, she attended San Juan Community College in Farmington, New Mexico where she got her phlebotomy license. 

She was on this earth for 28 years and helped make it a brighter, better place. She worked at various jobs that she loved, at River Valley Ranch, Dalton Ranch Golf Course, different dispensaries, doing home care with Comfort Keepers, working at a pet supply store and finally as a phlebotomist for Labcorp.

People who knew Savanna know that she was all about being funny and irreverent. She had love and laughter to share, as well as a sarcastic wit and a delightfully sassy mouth that made people laugh! She marched to a uniquely different drum; that’s what made her so special. 

She loved to make people smile and feel better, always giving compliments and the best hugs! She never failed to let people know she loved them, and would tell them at least ten times a day!

Savanna was artistic and creative. When the pandemic hit, she spent a lot of time painting rocks to look like ladybugs, and making the cutest fairy houses. Then she would sneak around putting them on people’s porches or in flower gardens. 

The neighborhood was full of fairy gardens with her creations that year. She also loved going to local rivers and lakes, rafting and paddle boarding.

She was a nurturing person and an amazing caretaker, taking care of whoever was in need, whether they be people or animals. She never met a dog or cat she didn’t lik

e. She even took in and cared for an elderly client’s dog when the client could not. She was a source of strength and a big help to her sister Ciarra, and moved to Denver temporarily to help take care of her and her nephew when Ciarra was going through treatment for leukemia in 2019/2020.

Savanna loved her family dearly and, if she knew you well, you were part of her extended family. 

Her nephew Summit was her absolute favorite person in the world. She loved spending time with him. She built him a rocket ship out of cardboard for his birthday last year and made him a Halloween costume — a fire truck that had moving wheels, lights that spun around, a ladder that telescoped up and a fire hose.

She is survived by her mother Patty Bristol, father Doug Bristol and partner Lisa Talley, sister Ciarra Bristol and partner Marlin Boyer, nephew Summit, grandfather Maurice Bristol, aunts and uncles Kelly and Jan Warnock, Tina and Ras Smith, Debbie and Jim Martin, Mike Bristol, many cousins and friends she considered family. 

She is preceded in death by grandparents June and Tiny Nightingale, Marsha and Milt Dodson, Eva Bristol and uncle Tim Nightingale. 

There will be a celebration of Savanna’s life sometime in the summer when Ciarra is cured of cancer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at suicidepreventionlifeline.org