by Jessica Hughes
It’s been over 50 years since Ed and Connie Thomas first met here in Denver, nearly 47 years since they bought their first and only home together, and 25 years since Connie was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis.
The first 15 years after the diagnosis Connie seemed to be doing okay, but eventually the disease advanced to the point where she couldn’t work and had to retire. While Ed took care of her in the beginning of her diagnosis, he could no longer handle the responsibility of caring for his wife. He had to make the difficult decision to move his beloved Connie into an assisted living facility, and soon the house became too much for one man. So, he resolved to sell their family home.
A former Denver City Councilman, a police officer of 23 years with the Denver Police Department, and former editor of the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle, Ed Thomas has played an important role in the Denver community. With his decision to move, he soon found himself seeking support from the community that he helped serve and protect for so many years.
Friends of the family, Ashlie Woods and Barbara Betcher, two brokers from the local Denver real estate firm Leonard Leonard & Associates, stepped in to assist Ed with the sale of his home. Woods and Betcher, who have known Ed for over 20 years, told him, “we’ll get you through this and we’re ready to help in any way we can.”
Woods and Betcher were there from the beginning, in 2016 when the decision was made to move Connie into assisted living, for not only the physical process of moving but the emotional process as well.
“They took control of the entire process and did everything that needed to be done. I was a basket case, and they handled everything,” Ed recounts. The decision to sell did not come easily. Ed’s home meant, and still means, everything to him. It’s where he spent his adulthood raising his family, a son and a daughter, and where he welcomed home his three grandchildren. It is the only place he had known for years.
Woods describes the entire process as “a hands-on project, from beginning to end.” First, they needed to clear out the house and downsize Ed’s belongings. Ashlie took the time to walk through with Ed, often a couple times a week, to determine what needed to go and what he could keep.
Next, Woods and Betcher needed to get the house in shape and ready to show. They began with making small repairs including updating the flooring, plaster fixes, and other jobs to ensure the house was in saleable condition. They hired a staging company, while Betcher helped with most of the staging.
Thomas proclaims, “It was absolutely perfect and spotless.” So much so, that the first weekend the house went up for sale, one of the first couples to walk through the door said, “We’ll take it.”
The house went under contract quickly, selling for asking price the first weekend it was on the market.
With the quick sale of his home, Thomas needed to move, and do it soon. When moving day came, Woods was there, stepping in for his daughter, who could not be there to help. Without hesitation, Woods assumed the role and offered her help.
In helping find Thomas a more permanent home, Betcher found the condo Ed resides in now, making sure he didn’t overpay and negotiated the best deal for him.
Woods describes Thomas as a “real trooper throughout this whole process.” With just his son here in Denver, Woods and Betcher assumed the role of family and not just the professionals they are.
Taking the lead throughout the entire process, Woods and Betcher went above and beyond what was required of them, all without taking a commission for three years worth of work.
While life didn’t quite turn out as expected, Thomas feels blessed to have his wife still with him despite this disease. He is grateful for his life and what it has afforded him and is appreciative of the community that gathered around him in a time of need.
Simply put, “You don’t get that lucky in life very often,” Thomas expresses with gratitude.
Thomas says he would not have survived this situation without his children, Betcher, or Woods. And for those who find themselves in a similar situation, Thomas shares this sentiment: “Cherish the love of your family and friends because one day you will need them.”
Strong Family: A family that has stayed together with the help of their community.