Lori Ann Rokosch, a powerhouse, fierce advocate, mother, wife, and friend to many, let go of her year-long battle with cancer on March 14, 2025. As she passed, she was surrounded by her beloved family during the starry sky of early morning, taking flight as the blood moon reached full eclipse.
Lori was born at the Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago, to her parents Gladys Davidson and Charles Baker, and was raised in Northbrook, Illinois. Lori was the youngest of her three siblings- Nancy Knop, Bob Baker, and Sherry Blom. At the age of 24, Lori made the move to Montana with her fiancé Jim Rokosch, nesting in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley. Here, she had three children – Josh, Joey, and Jennifer Rokosch.
Quickly after her arrival in Montana, Lori began serving her community as a remarkable volunteer for the Three Mile Fire Department’s quick response unit, and further dedicated her time working as a nurse for St. Patrick’s Hospital. As a nurse, she worked for Life Flight, and later gave her love, passion, and unwavering work ethic for caregiving in the Emergency Department, Operating Room, and ended her career as RN, Supervisor of Clinical Informatics, where she travelled to many places, making many friends along the way. Through Lori’s 41 years spent at Providence Missoula, her coworkers became her close friends, and she will be remembered by them for her fierce patient advocacy, passionate heart, and candid sense of humor.
Beyond her working life, Lori loved the Natural World and all its beauty. She loved hiking, floating the river, gardening, spending time in her orchard, huckleberry picking, harvesting morel mushrooms, and flowers—her favorites were lilies and daisies. Being the gregarious soul she was, Lori also loved dancing to live music, adventurous travel, and even more so, sharing these special moments with friends and family.
While Lori will be missed beyond measure, it is important to remember that her spirit is everlasting. She will live within and around us for the rest of our days. Through the stories we share, through gardens, rivers, belly laughs, outspoken love, and Mother Nature’s beauty—especially in birds—she will live on.
Lori’s celebration of life will be on Saturday April 12th. Contact Jenny Rokosch at (406)381-0466 for details. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.