Obituary of Beverly Lorraine (Gowing) Lanfear

  Born June 20, 1929 in The Dalles, Oregon, to Lester O. Gowing and Annabelle Lee (Hamilton), Beverly passed peacefully on May 18, 2019, in Meridian, Idaho.

  Bev was raised in Portland along with her younger sister, Imogene Lee. The family moved to Caldwell in 1945 and she attended Caldwell High School graduating in 1947.

  She married Alvie Lanfear Jr. in 1948 after climbing out the upstairs window, down a ladder and eloping to Winnemucca, NV. They had three children, Sandra Kay (Manuel) Berain, Lester Alvie (Annetta Pottratz) Lanfear, and Deborah Ann (Charles) Gretz.

  Bev first went to work in 1946 and retired (for the third and last time) in 2011. She worked throughout the Treasure Valley, providing administrative support to a variety of businesses. Bev worked most recently for the Bureau of Land Management and the Idaho State Tax Commission. She moved to Nampa in 2013 to be closer to her family following her dementia diagnosis.

  She loved to travel to the Oregon Coast, Silver City, the mountains for camping, and anywhere to visit with family and friends. Bev enjoyed a competitive pinochle game, playing with her grandchildren,   scenic drives and a never-ending cup of coffee.  Those of us who knew her well recognized early on that she never met a stranger, had extraordinary energy, and told the “best darn stories” ever. 

  Bev is survived by her three children; grandchildren Andrea (Robert Fisher) Courtney, Jeremy (Heather) Courtney, Mike Gretz, Jason (Alison) Gretz, and Abby Gretz; and four great grandchildren with another one arriving in October.

  At her request a memorial service will be held on June 21 at 1:00 pm at the Canyon Hill Cemetery followed by a celebration of life at Indian Creek Steakhouse in Caldwell.

  Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the W.FishFoundation@gmail.com (cystic fibrosis support) or to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (alzfdn.org).