LOKKEN, Leslie Ferris

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona, Tuesday, October 02, 2012 Leslie Ferris Lokken, of Prescott, Ariz., passed away Sept. 18, 2012. She was in her home, where she wanted to be, with her two daughters, Leslie Connelly (Terry) and Wynne Buran (Suheyl). She is survived also by her sister Betty Lotts (Judd); and grandchildren, Patrick and Shannon Connelly, and Erin and Erol Buran. She lived an amazing life: raised on a wheat ranch in eastern Washington, when teams of mules still pulled the equipment; graduated from Washington State University with a BA in journalism, after which she took a job at a radio station in Alaska (still only a territory then); worked for Army Special Services while in Alaska and at Camp Hale, Colorado; took on the challenge of being an Army wife (moving almost every year); served as chairwoman of the English/German Women's Officer's Club while stationed in Germany (she had learned to speak fluent German at Army Language School); always very active in every community's organizations supporting civil rights and social reform (when she didn't start something up herself); was co-chair of Michigan's McGovern for President campaign and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention; worked on the staff of Common Cause; and only retired after working for 15 plus years as a researcher for the Michigan Democratic Senate. Leslie loved traveling the world, and even parasailed in her 70s! Her only regret was not living into her 90s; she only made it to 86. In lieu of flowers, please donate to one of the following organizations. Leslie told us, with a grin, that you would choose which one suited you best. The Arizona Democratic Party, congressional candidate Ann Kirkpatrick, or the American Cancer Society at https://www.cancer.org/involved/donate/donateonlinenow/plresearchengagement/index, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718. A Celebration of Life will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012, at El Gato Azul, 316 Goodwin St., Prescott, Ariz. Information provided by survivors.
Posted by Sharla on October 05, 2012

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