Josette Oberon Lorenz Stanley

June 5, 1942 – April 10, 2020

Our precious mother, Josette “Jo” Oberon Stanley, crossed over into heaven on Good Friday, April 10, 2020 at the age of 77. 

Josette was born on June 5, 1942 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri to Edgar Lorenz and Velva May (Davis) Lorenz. Due to her father’s enlistment in the Navy, the family called many places home, which sparked the same nomadic spirit in Jo. She graduated from Napa High School in 1960 before marrying Wayne Allen Stanley on July 8, 1962. The couple moved to Orange County, California to raise their three children. In 1978 they divorced and Josette moved to Redlands, California to raise her three children. She married (eventually divorced) Gary Spisak, Sr. (deceased September 8, 1996) in 1982.

Josette attended Orange Coast Community College where she developed her love in geology. She went on to earn her undergraduate degree in Geology from California State University, San Bernardino and her Master of Science degree from the University of Northern Colorado.

Josette called several places home, including Redlands, Victorville, and Santa Rosa in California, as well as Greeley, Loveland, Wheatridge, and Brighton in Colorado. She was employed by the County of San Bernardino, the United States Geological Survey, Denver Colorado, and California State Parks. She earned The Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG) award in 2001, has been a member of the Geological Society of America (GSA) since 1997, and a member of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) since 1995.

She spent her retirement years volunteering for several State Parks in California and Colorado. Josette loved talking with people and could strike up a conversation with anyone she met. She will always be remembered for her huge smile and her ability to make friends with complete strangers. Her curious spirit for all things in nature has been passed on to her children and grandchildren, and her love for geology will forever live on in all who knew her. 

She is preceded in death by her father Edgar Lorenz (deceased March 20, 2005) and mother, Velva (Davis) Lorenz (deceased January 24, 2012) and is survived by her loving family, including her three children: Mike Stanley (Romain Neugebauer), Oakland, CA, Donna Stanley Gutierrez (David), Woodland, CA, and Karen Stanley Smidt (Daniel), Brighton, CO; her four grandchildren: Nicole Gutierrez, Meghan Smidt Bumgardner, Abigail Smidt, Derek Gutierrez; her great grandchild: Newton Bumgardner; and her three siblings: Sandra Lorenz Hallock (Keith), Suzanne Lorenz (Sam Beasley), and David Lorenz (Nancy) as well as her numerous nieces and nephews and their children.

A private family service will be held at one of her cherished places, Death Valley. In lieu of flowers, please donate to an organization that was close to Jo's heart.