Connie was born in Sarnia, Ontario, the daughter of Doris Maxine Kirby and Harold Edward (Ted) McLeod and the mother of two children, Erich Edward Ehrenberg and Sherry Lynn Ehrenberg and one step son, Jeremy Garth Lopatin. Connie moved to Ann Arbor in 1966 and worked as a secretary at the University of Michigan in the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Oral Biology (later BMS) and Dental Research Institute in the School of Dentistry, the Department of Radiation Oncology and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She was highly respected for her administrative skills and was known for her attention to detail and ability to get the job done.
She could intimidate the most formidable faculty member or administrator who knew that if they crossed her, they would incur the “wrath of Connie”. Connie married her husband, Dennis Edward Lopatin in 1983. She took joy in her ability to beat Dennis in Scrabble and other board games.
She had a candid sense of humor often quipping that she dreamed of marrying a knight in shining armor, riding a white charger, but she ended up marrying a short, pudgy Jew, who drove a black Mustang. She met Dennis when he was recruited to the Dental Research Institute in 1976 and when asked what she thought of him at their first meeting, she said that she figured he must be really smart because he wasn’t very good looking. Dennis romantically proposed to her at the McDonalds by the Milan Prison.
While she said yes, she insisted on a do over at a more proper venue. They were devoted to each other and enjoyed many cruise ship cruises. Planning the next cruise was a passion of Connie’s and the thought of each new adventure brought her great joy.
Connie was a fervent dog lover and her four precious Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Poppy, Lily, Willow and Izzy, will sorely miss her. In addition to her dogs Connie was an avid reader and loved doing jigsaw puzzles and baking. As a Canadian citizen, Connie held a Green Card until 2009.
She had an incredible fear of failing the citizenship test, but finally overcame that fear and became a citizen so she could vote to re-elect President Obama. Connie is preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Diane Shirley McLeod, her brothers Edward (Ted) John McLeod, Stuart Douglas McLeod and her son, Erich Edward Ehrenberg. She is survived by her husband, Dennis, her loving brother Harold (Debbie) McLeod and her four precious dogs, Poppy, Lilly, Willow and Izzy.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Huron Valley Humane Society, Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor, Habitat for Humanity, Washtenaw Camp Placement, SOS Crisis Center, the University of Michigan School of Dentistry or a charity of your choice that makes a difference in our community or world. Cremation has already occurred. Connie requested that there be no formal funeral, but there will be an opportunity for friends and family to pay respects and share memories beginning at 1:00pm on Saturday, February 2, 2019, at Nie Family Funeral Home, 3767 W. Liberty Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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