Lorraine Mary Badurina

Lorraine Mary Badurina was born to Lawrence and Antoinette Badurina in Vancouver Washington on June 25th 1945. She was the first of three daughters and was welcomed into a loving, loud, and large extended Croatian family. She described her childhood as "idyllic" and treasured her growing up years spent with her sisters and many cousins.
Lorraine graduated from Marycrest high school in 1963 and went on to earn her B.A. From Oregon State in 1967. She planned on becoming an English teacher until a friend suggested she might enjoy library school. It was at that moment a lightbulb went off and so began her dream career of librarian after her graduation from library school in 1968. Lorraine was beloved by both coworkers and patrons alike at Ft. Vancouver library. She liked to gently brag that patrons would "ask for her special" to help with their questions, her favorites being medical and legal. She was one of the few overheard saying close to her passing "at least I was able to work up until the very end!"
In 1969  she married Jerry Justis and together they raised three daughters, Cecily(Tony); Erica(Jon); and Juliet(Matt). Lorraine relished being a stay at home mom and her and Jerry immersed themselves in their girls activities, enjoying soccer games, music performances and plays. They headed Friends Of Fine Arts at Central Catholic and helped raise money for a new school auditorium. Perhaps their favorite activity during these years were the unlimited free movies courtesy of their daughters employment at Lloyd Cinema. Lorraine was never one to pass up a bargain!
In the early eighties she joined the non-profit support group Recovery Inc. and credited its self help methods for giving her freedom from anxiety and depression. She was so grateful for the system she volunteered as a much-loved leader for 18 years. Her love of talking and her joy of helping people has bettered countless lives over the years and she felt this is one of the things she was put on earth to do. She was an avid advocate for better mental health services.
She met the "love of her life" Jim Sleeper in 2004 and was determined to enjoy every moment they had together. They traveled extensively, her frugal ways didn't keep her from spending whatever it took to get her where she wanted to go! Lorraine went to as many dances as she could talk Jim into and spent almost as much time avoiding playing golf with him. Fridays were reserved for estate sale treasure hunting (her specialty was finding underpriced gold) with her best friend Florence Sharp.  Bargain hunting was a theme carried throughout her life, she enjoyed the deal almost as much as the treasure itself. Bargain hunting had a tough competitor with her gym time though, she was well known as a daily visitor at Cascade Athletic Club and used exercise as a way to both avoid housework AND stay in shape!
It was her profound faith in God that perhaps best defines Lorraine. A long time member of All Saints Parish, she spent years and several Catholic pilgrimages pursuing a deeper relationship with Christ. It was during her pilgrimage to visit St. Padre Pio last year that she felt the most moved. She wept by his tomb, profoundly touched by the Holy Spirit. She felt that she would have some upcoming challenges, and knew that the Holy Spirit would be with her. It was lymphoma that was to be that last challenge. It took her so swiftly she never had to sit around, being so ill she missed living the life she didn't want to waste one second of. Up until the end she said repeatedly that she was on a "spiritual journey", and those who knew and loved her could no doubt deny that she was indeed. Her contagious zest for life and warm, outgoing nature will be missed by so many. Lorraine is survived by her three daughters, six precious grandchildren, her partner Jim Sleeper and her sisters Marilyn(Ben) and Sharon(John). She is preceded in death by her parents, her former husband Gerald Justis and beloved nephew Michael Baxter.
Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to Recovery International at:
www.recoveryinternationalusa.org
101 N. Greenville Ave. Suite 255
Allen, Texas  75002
1 866 963-2419