Denise Lee (Manning) Solso

Denise Lee Solso (nee Manning), of Indianapolis, IN and Paradise Valley, MT passed away Saturday, July 4, 2015 at the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital in Bozeman, MT, surrounded by her family and friends. She was 67 years old. Denny is survived by her husband, Theodore "Tim" Mathew Solso of Indianapolis, IN and Paradise Valley, MT; her children, Lynn Helen Shepherd of Colorado Springs, CO, Whitney Leigh Solso Helms of Noblesville, IN, Mathew Virgil Solso of Derry, NH, and Jason Barreto of Windham, NH; her nine grandchildren; her brother, Brian Manning of Wamic, OR and her sister Lynn Manning Reese of Sacramento, CA. She is preceded in death by her parents, John and Elizabeth Manning of Sacramento, CA. Denny was born on October 31, 1947 in Ann Arbor, MI to John and Elizabeth Manning. She attended DePauw University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature in 1969. She married a fellow student, Tim Solso, in 1969, and the pair moved to Boston, MA, where Tim attended Harvard University Business School. After graduating, they moved to Columbus, IN, where they welcomed their three children, later informally adopting Jason Barreto. Her surviving husband and children remember her as a smart, quick-witted woman who loved her family fiercely. Denny was a distribution manager for The Republic, the local newspaper, and later a teacher at ABC Stewart Elementary School in Columbus, IN. She loved to travel, play cards and board games, complete crossword puzzles, and was active in supporting many local and international charities. Denny succumbed to lung cancer. She will be remembered as a supportive wife, wonderful mother, an awesome grandmother, and a positive influence on those who were fortunate to know her. Her ashes were scattered at Legacy Ranch in Paradise Valley, MT on July 6, 2015 with her family in attendance. A Celebration of Life Reception to honor Denny will be held Wednesday, October 7, 2015 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM in her favorite part of the Indianapolis Zoo the Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center, 1200 W. Washington St, Indianapolis, IN. Casual attire is welcome. Denny requested that there be no flowers in her memory. The orangutans and their plight captured Dennys heart and the family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Indianapolis Zoo to support the reforestation of Kutai National Park in Borneo to ensure a future where orangutans thrive in the wild. Her ashes were scattered at Legacy Ranch in Paradise Valley, MT on July 6, 2015 with her family in attendance. A memorial service in Indianapolis, IN is planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate in her memory to the Indianapolis Zoo (www.indianapoliszoo.com).