Lorna Naegele

Lorna Naegele
December 12, 1958 - March 24, 2017

Lorna Mae Naegele, 58, died March 24, 2017, at her home in Grand Junction.
Lorna (Lori to her family of birth) was born December 12, 1958, to Paul S. and Eliene Neat Naegele near Vermilion, Ohio. She was the youngest of four children, by eight years, and the only girl. She brought a bright new dynamic to the Naegele family. A gifted student, Lorna graduated from Vermilion High School in 1977 and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in Geology from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio in 1981. Her first job took her to St. Louis, but she was drawn to the American West and pursued a Master's degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana in Missoula, graduating in 1992.

In 1991 John Scott Schultz fell madly in love with Lorna and they married on August 1,1993. They relocated to New Mexico where John achieved his Master's degree in Counseling while Lorna worked to support them. They settled in Grand Junction in 1998. With a passionate love of plants and especially flowers, one might say Lorna blossomed in Grand Junction. She became a Certified Master Gardener through the CSU Extension. She served as the executive director of the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens for a number of years. She then worked as the Western Slope coordinator with JVA, a Front Range company that works to strengthen non-profits. Always concerned with the environment, conservation and social justice, Lorna also served as an officer with the Mesa County Democrats and most recently worked with League of Women Voters of Mesa County.

Lorna was consumed with wanderlust, and she and John traveled in Europe six times as well as around the U.S. She was an excellent gardener and photographer. She loved the forest and the mountains and rejoiced in nature. Lorna was intelligent, witty, opinionated, sensitive, caring and compassionate. Her sense of whimsy was expressed in her passwords, named after flowers and vegetables. She attracted people to her like bees to flowers, and forged many deep and enduring friendships. She valued her associates at the League and the Mesa Dems as much as she did the ladies of her book club. One brother wrote, "you arrived in our family a little late; you left a little early yet you still touched more lives, and have created more happiness than all your siblings together will ever accomplish."
In 2009 Lorna was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She approached her treatment as she would have faced any other significant challenge: with resolve, courage, and grace. She died peacefully with John at her side.

In addition to John, Lorna is survived by her brothers, Mike (Carol) of Bay Village, OH; Stu (Andy) of Boulder, CO and Tucson, AZ, and Dick (Jori) of Huron OH; nieces, Sydney (Mike) Ryan and Alex Naegele; and nephews, Michael (Cat) Naegele, and Greg Naegele. She is also remembered by John's brothers Paul, Robert, Keith, and their families.

A memorial service will be held at on Saturday May 6, 2017, at 3:00 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to HopeWest Hospice of Grand Valley, 3090B North 12th St., Grand Junction, CO 81506; League of Women Voters of Mesa County, PO Box 4252, Grand Junction, CO 81502-4252; or the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance, 1777 S. Bellaire St. Suite 170, Denver CO 80222-4310. -