Leslie Padilla Cacy was a conductor on the Royal Gorge Railroad and was studying to be a train engineer, her family said in a statement. At the same time, the psychology graduate was preparing for advanced work in her field.
She died May 28 when while on duty.The Padilla and Cacy families described the 28-year-old as an animal lover and extrovert who “spread pure joy and excitement amongst each and every co-worker and train passenger she encountered.”
The Corpus Christi, Texas, native was on a family trip to Colorado in 2008 when she met her husband, Devon Cacy.
He was serving tables on the train, which takes passengers on a two-hour round trip through the Royal Gorge from the Santa Fe Depot in Cañon City.
Devon would “turn out to be the love of her life, her soul mate and her future husband. After that trip, Leslie vowed that she would be moving to Colorado, even with the doubt from her family,” the lengthy statement said.
She began working at the railroad in 2015, starting as office manager then enrolling in a conductor training class.
Two months later, she was fully certified as a conductor.
About a month ago, she began engineer training.
At the same time, she was preparing to take the GRE, a standardized test for entrance to graduate school, and planning to enter the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs geropsychology master’s program after completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Cacy loved animals, calling them “fur babies,” and treating dogs and other pets as if they were her own.
There will be a service for Cacy on Monday at the Cañon Community Baptist Church in Cañon City. Visitation is scheduled for 10 a.m., and the service will follow at 11 a.m.
Flowers can be sent to Harwood Funeral Home in Cañon City.
The family has set up a to raise funds for her memorial.
