Lisa Marie Pavek Jorgensen died at home in Arbon Valley, Idaho, on Friday, January 10, 2014, from liver cancer, at the age of 51. She was born on July 24, 1962, in Billings, Montana, to Louis Pavek and Lois Marjorie Kochel Pavek, the 2nd oldest of seven siblings. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Lisa grew up in Ashland, Montana. She left home at an early age and had a lot of interesting jobs. She loved working in the woods as a logger in Arkansas, Montana, and Minnesota. She attended Perry Tech in Yakima, Washington, where she got her degree in telecommunications. She enjoyed working on phone systems, something she had always wanted to do since she was a little girl.
Lisa overcame many adversities in her life. She was born partially deaf. She was diagnosed with cancer while still a teenager, and had several cancer scares through the years. Doctors later found cancer in her eye, after which she wore a glass eye; she was not shy about taking it out and showing it to friends; her unique sense of humor delighted those who knew her.
She met the love of her life, Ken Jorgensen, whom she married in 2000. She often said he erased all the bad that had ever happened in her life and that he was her gift from God. They bought land in Arbon and built their dream home from scratch, for which Lisa did all the electrical wiring, and worked alongside her husband every step of the way. While they were building their home, she and Ken lived in a camper for a year. She loved living in Arbon Valley, exploring the back roads with her husband and friends, riding her four wheeler, and camping and fishing. She was a determined soul – she decided to run in a marathon at age 50, for which she started running eight miles a day in the Arbon foothills. She was a great cook and a wonderful gardener. If she set her mind at something, there was nothing she couldn’t accomplish.
Lisa loved her cats, and her cats loved her. All who had the delight of knowing her loved her sense of humor, and she loved to laugh. She loved to read and to learn new things. She loved sushi from Sushi Family and onion rings from the Malad Drive In. She was a true and loyal friend, always brave and courageous in the face of adversity. She always had a positive outlook and an adventurous spirit. When she was given the diagnosis of cancer, she faced this with courage. One of the last things she wrote was, “They don’t get to tell me when to die. Only God will do that. ‘I will not go gentle into that good night…[I’ll] burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light!’”
Lisa is survived by her beloved husband and the love of her life, Ken. She is also survived by her special uncle, Dennis Jorgensen; her father Louis Pavek of Ashland, Montana; and her five sisters and two brothers. She was preceded in death by her mother.
The memorial service will be held at the Arbon LDS Church, Saturday, January 18th, at 12:00 noon, with family and friends visitation time from 11 to 11:45.
In lieu of flowers, Lisa requested that donations be made to the Idaho Humane Society.
When the snow melts on the mountain above Lisa’s home, it leaves a drift in the shape of a heart. This is now “Lisa’s heart” for her great spirit. We will miss you, Lisa. It was a privilege to know you and love you.