Carla Yvonne Lorimor

Carla Yvonne Crawford passed away 25 Feb 2025 at St Mary’s hospital after a battle with cancer. Carla was born in Rifle, CO 01 July 1958 the last of three children born to David and Carol (Herwick) Crawford. 

Carla joined the Marine Corps in 1978 on the buddy system with her sister Debbie. Carla and Debbie went to boot camp in Parris Island SC and then attended small weapon repair school in Aberdeen MD. Carla and Debbie were some of the first women stationed at 3rd Assault Amphibian Bn, Camp Pendleton, CA. Carla met and married then Sergeant Raymond Mahnke while at Camp Pendleton, where they had one son, Jacob. 

After Ray and Carla divorced, she returned home to Grand Junction, where she married Theron Lorimor. Theron remembered her as being full of life. They built houses which took them to Virginia Beach, Virginia where their two sons, James and Ian were born. 

Carla worked as a bookkeeper most of her adult life after once again returning home to Colorado. Carla loved plants, cared for stray animals and spent her free time crafting. While boxing up her home, her family discovered what a voracious reader Carla was. Books everywhere! Her tastes were wide ranging from Gore Vidal to Louis L’Amour. Carla was also wide ranging in her spiritual beliefs with nods to mysticism, Christianity and Buddhism. Although plagued with health issues for many years she remained independent to the last, buying a van and solo traveling to visit friends and family. 

At the end, her only thoughts were of her family and how much she loved her children and grand children. She was preceded in death by both her parents and older brother David. She is survived by her sister Debbie, three sons Jacob (Faye), James (Chelsea) and Ian, and four grand children, Aspyn, Darcy, Alysa and Quentin.