On March 23, 1929 a lively, generous girl named Loraine Belle Miller came into this world in Sac City, Iowa. On August 4, 2020, a woman – Loraine Belle Miller Levan – passed on from this world with a life lived with kindness, laughter, love and hard work behind her in Sandy, Oregon at age 91.
Loraine grew up in Iowa graduating from Galva High School in 1946. While still in Iowa she met and married Paul Levan there in October 1948. The couple moved to Oregon in the spring of 1953 after purchasing a home on Bluff Road. When their children were all in school, Loraine worked at Gresham Community Hospital as a nurse’s aide. She later worked in the kitchen at Sandy High School until she took a job with Heidi’s Restaurant in Boring. Later in her life, she was a grocery store product “demo lady”. Wherever she worked, she found friendships and interesting people to talk to. Loraine and Paul were also both active members of St. Michael’s Catholic Church. Loraine was very social and enjoyed her conversations with people throughout her life.
There were some basic principles that guided Loraine in her life: home, family, generosity, curiosity, good times and a genuine delight in knowing and interacting with people. Loraine always had a great sense of humor. She was known for her total enjoyment for playing all kinds of games – Bingo, Pinochle, Scrabble, Pokeno, Cards, Crosswords, Word Finds – and she believed that if you were going to play, you might as well win! And she did. Frequently. Her family also knew not to call her when Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy were on the air. From Loraine’s perspective, one could never have enough shoes or jewelry. She was a trendy dresser and found many a find at Goodwill, one of her favorite haunts.
Loraine loved her family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul, her parents, five sisters and two brothers. She is survived by her children – Marsha (Jim), David (Heidi) and Suanne (Terry) – six grandchildren – Jenny, Jeff, Jessica, Ben, Logan, Amy - and fourteen great grandchildren. They were a primary focus in her life.
We will honor and celebrate the life of a very significant, wonderful, and loved woman with a private graveside service.