Laurie Jo Hoehn

NAMPA, IDAHO ~ It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Laurie Jo Hoehn (née Holben), 63 years of age born in Dunkirk, New York on May 5th, 1961, to William and Louise Holben, where she joined older siblings Judy and William (Bill) at their home in Angola, New York.

She and her family enjoyed annual trips to Florida to see her grandmother during the winter holidays. There she enjoyed the beaches and playing in the sand with her brother and sister. Laurie also enjoyed being in the sun and on the water on her father’s boat on Lake Erie.

Laurie was proceeded in death by her father William Holben, her mother Louise Rauch, her stepfather Robert Rauch, her half-brother Richard Holben, and the heart-breaking loss of her son, Curtis Hoehn Junior, a.k.a. “Beemer”.

She is survived by her husband, Curt Hoehn of Nampa, Idaho, her daughter Teresa Parker of Springfield, Missouri, her sister Judy Price (John) of North Collins, New York, her brother Bill Holben (Linda) of Evaro, Montana and Stepmother Linda Holben of Hamburg, New York.

Born in 1978, to Laurie, was her beautiful daughter Teresa Lynn Parker. She taught her daughter to swim, dance, live life to the fullest, and to be an adventurous and independent spiri.

Laurie moved to Central California in 1982. This is where she met her husband, Curt Hoehn, a Navy man. Laurie and Curt, along with Teresa, made a home in Lemoore, California until 1984. Laurie and Curt were married on March 10 in 1984. Curtis Jr. was born June 24, 1984.

During her time in Lemoore, Laurie worked in the food service sector at Camino del Valle and Perko’s coffee cup, where she met and gained many friends.

In the fall of 1984, upon Curt’s discharge from the US Navy, they moved to Curt’s hometown of Seeley Lake, Montana, where Laurie continued her work in the food service industry at Lindey’s Prime Steakhouse in Seeley Lake, and later at Pioneer Pies in Missoula, Montana.

In 1986, Curt re-enlisted in the United States Navy and they moved to San Diego, California. Here she continued in the food service sector, working at Coco’s restaurant and advancing to manage several of the restaurants in the San Diego area for several years. She then moved on to working at Ralph’s supermarket, moving up to the position of Delicatessen Manager, where she excelled at customer service and catering. She later decided on a different career path and went into the real estate business.

The majority of Laurie’s professional career was dedicated to the real estate industry, spanning various organizations such as First-Rate Mortgage, Countrywide, Sierra Pacific, and Union Bank of California mortgage department. Subsequently, Laurie was with US Bank mortgage operations.

Laurie and Curt bought their first home in Lakeside, California in 1994, where they remained until 2021. In 2021, they had their home built in Nampa, Idaho, moving there that same year. Laurie did a beautiful job outfitting and decorating their dream home.

Laurie, a ‘foodie’ at heart, enjoyed both local and regional travel and cuisine. However, her most cherished trips were home visits to her family, where she could savor her favorite delectable western New York foods. However, Laurie’s favorite food, by far, was steak and lobster ‘Surf and Turf’. Recently, she encouraged her husband, Curt, to enhance his culinary skills by preparing macadamia-encrusted halibut, another of her favorites. Bittersweet—that this was her last meal shared with her husband and family.

She thoroughly enjoyed the numerous cruises she and Curt took to the Caribbean. She always made sure to have a balcony cabin so she could sit on the deck and listen to the soothing sound of the ocean waves. It was on Laurie’s and Curt’s fourth cruise that they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows.

She also relished the California coast, the Oregon coast, and the national parks, including Zion, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Tetons, Bryce Canyon, Glacier National Park, and Gettysburg, along with visits to the Coasts of Maine, Florida and Hawaii. Additionally, she greatly enjoyed the California wineries and exploring the wine regions of Paso Robles, Napa Valley and San Diego.

Laurie and her Curt, after losing their son in 2018, decided to leave their southern California home and start a fresh chapter in a new place. They chose Idaho, which offered them a closer proximity to Montana, albeit with milder winters. This relocation would enhance their chances of visiting family and creating a new life together. In 2021, they settled into their new home in Nampa and embarked on this exciting journey.

Laurie began feeling unwell in the summer of 2022. By August, she was severely weakened and exhausted, requiring an emergency room visit at St. Luke’s Hospital. Immediate tests revealed a critical condition due to low hemoglobin, and she was faced several weeks of life-threatening illness. The doctors stabilized her with numerous blood transfusions, while conducting further tests to identify the underlying cause. The diagnosis was Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), necessitating a comprehensive treatment plan that included chemotherapy, hospital stays, and ultimately a bone marrow transplant.

After approximately 10 months since her initial emergency room visit, Laurie showed remarkable progress. She was able to embark on several road trips across the western states, visiting family and friends in Montana, California, Oregon, Utah and Northern Idaho.

After visiting friends in Southern California last November, Laurie fell ill again. She promptly began treatment to control the disease, and it was progressing well. However, in late December or early January, she started experiencing other complications. In mid-January, it was discovered that the leukemia had reappeared and was incurable. Despite the grim prognosis, the decision was made to bring her home so she could spend some quality time with her family. Unfortunately, this period was very short, but there were indeed some happy moments.

Laurie, whose life was full of purpose and activity, will be deeply missed by many people whose lives she touched. She has left behind a treasure trove of wonderful memories and a remarkable legacy that her family will forever cherish. Laurie will be laid to rest in the Seeley Lake Cemetery, 1900 MT-83, in Montana on Tuesday, February 18th at 1 PM. (The cemetery is roughly 7 miles south of Seeley Lake on Hwy 83.) A visitation will be held the previous day (Monday, February 17th) from 2 to 4 PM at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home, located at 7405 Mullan Road in Missoula, MT. Everyone is welcome to attend both the visitation and the funeral.

Her son Curtis Jr’s remains (urn) will be interred with her at the time of burial.

Arrangements are under the care of Sunset Memorial Funeral Home and Crematory in Missoula.