Laraine (Lori) Elizabeth Denham

Laraine (Lori) Elizabeth Denham completed her life on this earth and went home to her Lord Jesus on August 18, 2020 at age 78 after a long battle with cancer.  Her close relationships with her family and her firm belief in Jesus gave her deep peace and strength.

Lori was born to Edgar and Helen Clark on October 3, 1941 in Portland, Oregon.  She was the third born of four children, living with her family in Seaside, Oregon, and later on a working dairy and oat farm in Ilwaco, Washington.  She had an older sister, Marilyn, an older brother, Stuart, and a younger brother, Johnny.

As a child she was very adventurous, often trekking through the woods nearby or exploring away from home.  She loved observing animals in the woods, bird watching, catching frogs, and picking wildflowers. Lori also loved to rollerskate, sing and dance, learning ballet, tap, and hula.

After high school, she became a stewardess with United Airlines and travelled all around the world having many great experiences before eventually settling in San Francisco.  It is there that she was briefly married and had a son, John-Paul, who she nicknamed “JP”.  She worked hard raising her son as a single mother and was dedicated to providing.  Lori eventually earned her real estate license and enjoyed many years as a successful agent selling residential homes.  She later took a lot of joy in being a grandmother and had close connections with each of her grandchildren, spending a lot of time with them and taking a close interest in everything they did.

In her later years, Lori travelled on several safari trips to Africa, and often spoke of these experiences as some of her most treasured memories.  Lori settled in Meridian, Idaho in 2019, along with JP and his family.  In August 2020, after a long battle with cancer, she was freed from her body and finally met her Savior face to face.  She wished for her ashes to be scattered in San Francisco and in Kenya.  Lori is survived by her brother, Stuart, her son and daughter-in-law, JP and Heidi, and her grandchildren, Jake, Lucy, Ruby, and Zoe.

Lori gave her life to Jesus when she was 45 years old, and He became her first love from that day forward.  She led her son JP to the Lord at a young age, and lived a beautiful example of love and generosity with her time and treasure.  She shared the message of Jesus with people all over the world during her travels, and leaves a legacy of knowing and loving God through the beautiful life she lived and in how she truly cared for others.

Thank you for your prayers, love, and support for her and our family.  Praise God for His faithfulness and love.

‘For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ‘

2 Corinthians 5:1-8

‘I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. ‘

Psalm 18:1-3

‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’

Psalm 23:1-6

Arrangements are under the direction of Bowman Funeral Parlor of Garden City.