Velma Denise LaCour, a beaming ray of light for family and friends in Portland, Denver and Los Angeles, died earlier this summer after a courageous two-year battle with cancer. She was 61.
Anyone fortunate enough to have spent significant time with LaCour knows that she absolutely loved life. She enjoyed crisscrossing the country to see family and friends. A true sports fanatic, she had even hoped to attend the tennis championships at Wimbledon this summer. She thrilled in the recent championship won by the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. And she remained loyal to the NFL's Denver Broncos—or as she often joked, "those Donkeys." Not content to sit in the stands, however, she participated herself in two marathons.
For Denise LaCour, family and friends always came first. She enjoyed an incredibly close relationship with her three children, Anthony Christmas, Calvin Parker and Crystal LaCour. She maintained a close ongoing relationship with her brother and sisters, as well as with concentric circles of friends and ARCO/BP colleagues in Portland, Los Angeles and Denver.
Several informal gatherings are taking place throughout the summer in Portland, Denver, Los Angeles and other cities as family and friends share fond memories of a caring and compassionate soul.
Denise LaCour is survived by three children, Anthony Christmas, Calvin Parker and Crystal LaCour; three grandchildren, Jayden John Parker, Sydnee Parker, and Taylor James Horn; her mother, Thelma Sylvester; four siblings, Delores Jackson, Dorris Brown, Verlean Willis and John Sylvester; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
