Laurinda Sue (Dethlefs) O’Lowney

Born October 27, 1967 in Englewood, Co., she was the daughter of Robert and Bonne Dethlefs. Lauri, as she was known by her family and friends, was raised in Franktown, Co. and graduated Ponderosa High School, Parker, Co., Class of 1986. Ever the adventurer, Lauri spent a year in West Germany, learned to speak German fluently, and upon her return she enrolled, graduated, and was certified as a surgical technician. She obtained employment at the Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix where she worked for several years.

Lauri met her husband, Patrick (Rik) O’Lowney, at a Marine Corps Birthday Ball in November 1996, Fredericksburg, Va. Following their marriage on a Sedona mountaintop, they lived in Fredericksburg where they started to raise two children: a son, Brian, and a daughter, Fiona. After Rik’s military retirement, she moved with her family to Denver where they remained for 18 months, then relocated to Stafford, Va. where Rik became a Defense Support Contractor.

Lauri loved to stay busy and was a woman of many talents. She enjoyed arts and crafts, cooking, traveling, hiking, gardening, and caring for people and animals. She earned an RN degree and worked in a few diverse health fields until she found her true calling in the operating room. After her children graduated high school, she and Rik moved to Winter Garden, Fl. to enjoy the warm weather in the Sunshine State.

Lauri was a loving, spiritual, intelligent, loyal person who unconditionally loved her family and would do anything for her children. She was a magnificent wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend.

Lauri is survived by her husband, Rik, retired; her children, Brian, an active-duty soldier assigned to Fort Carson, Co.; Fiona, a RN employed by the Regional Medical Center, Orlando; her mother, Bonne of Denver; her brothers, Rob (Kelly) of Denver; and Joseph (Emmi) of Winter Garden. Lauri was preceded in death by her father, Robert.

Her funeral service was conducted at her church, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Winter Garden, on Saturday, April 13. As her husband is a veteran, Lauri was interred at the Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Fl., Monday, April 15.

Baldwin Brothers Funeral and Cremation Society, Apopka, Fl., is serving the family. Post committal condolences may be expressed through donations in Lauri’s name to your local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.