Obituary; Lorene (Lori) McCoy

It is with a very heavy heart we formally announce Lorene (Lori) McCoy’s passing on January 3, 2015. She was surrounded by her family at Shoshone Medical Center in Kellogg, Idaho, where cancer finally won the hard fought battle.

Lori was born December 18, 1952 the daughter of Walt Galford and Dorthea (DeeDee) Knudsen. As a long time on again/ off again resident of St. Regis, Montana, she will be remembered for her consistent commitment to family and friends. Lori was a life long learner and was always working on new career goals.

This could be due to her love of reading and her never quite deciding on what she would be when she grew up. At the time of her passing, she was a sales associate, licensed real estate and insurance agent, and an ordained minister. Why an ordained minister you ask? Well, why not?

Her favorite memories are from the St. Regis area riding horses and floating the Clark Fork River. Nothing was more fun to her than joining with family and friends, coolers filled with Diet Pepsi and Bud Light with a couple bags of sunflower seeds at the ready to gracefully bob down the “big river” to invariably, and quite ungracefully, striking ones derriere on a rock and dumping oneself off their tube. Now that was a day well spent, in her opinion.

At her passing, Lori left behind her husband of 35 years, Francis (Frank) McCoy. She is also survived by two children, her daughter Sonya (Sonie) Williams and husband Alan Williams of Rathdrum, Idaho, and their three children, Parker, Ethan and Kennedy Williams. And her son Shannon McCoy and fiance Rosita Simmons and her two sons, Cody and Jason Simmons of Elko, Nevada. She is survived by her brothers Gary Galford of Indiana and Kenneth (Pete) Galford of California, and four sisters Virginia (Ginny) Black of Washington, Juanita (Nita) Shope of Montana, Mary Rudolph of Alaska, and Emily (Jan) Turbak of Idaho.

Numerous nieces and nephews add to the family who will miss Lori. She was preceded in death by her parents Walt and Deedee, grandparents Mary and Charles Shults, Mary and Levi Galford and younger brother Stephen (Steve) Galford. A Celebration of Life potluck gathering will be held on August 2, in the St. Regis Park. Family is looking forward to greeting friends from 1:00-4:00 p.m. to share memories, photos and laughs. The community is invited to use this time to share the good times they had with Lori.

Thank you. Sonya