Lori Marleah Lipari

Lori Marleah Lipari of Bangor, Michigan, died at home on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, surrounded by her family after a 6-month battle with cancer. Lori was born on September 12, 1955, in Easton, Pennsylvania to Betty Lyon Lipari and Rock Lipari. She spent her early years in Pennsylvania and California, before moving to Portage, Michigan on Gourdneck Lake. After graduating from Portage Central High School, Lori moved to Columbia to attend the University of South Carolina, where she met her husband, Chuck Jordan at a bar called Almost Nuts. They celebrated 45 years of marriage on January 30, 2026. Lori was an ICU nurse at Columbia Baptist Hospital before moving to Bangor, Michigan in 1989 with her husband and three children, with two more children born at home later. She was a nurse supervisor at South Haven Community Hospital for 20 years. At the age of 55, Lori earned her Nurse Practitioner degree from the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing, practicing in family clinics and at Vitality Home Health Services for eight years before moving on to full-time grandma.

Lori lived a full life with adventure, humor, and deep love for her family and friends. She cherished attending countless sporting events and band performances for her children, grandchildren, and foreign exchange grandchildren. She was proud of all their educational accomplishments, especially her grandson’s high school graduation this May. Lori loved spending time with her nurse friends, listening to local live music, riding her e-bike to count turtles along the Paw Paw River, playing Bridge at the Kalamazoo Bridge Club, sharing laughs with her Encore Club friends, and learning to make pottery at Khnemu Studio. Lori also traveled to Spain, Japan, Hawaii, Turkey and she especially loved Crete. Lori enjoyed reading, sailing, and playing backgammon, sequence and many other board games with her children and grandchildren. Surrounded by a large and loving family, Lori especially felt that love during the last six months of her life. She was deeply grateful for the many phone calls, visits, and thoughtful cards from dear friends, both lifelong companions and treasured newer friendships. Lori devoted her life to caring for others as a nurse, nurse practitioner, and mother, and her legacy of compassion, kindness, and love will continue through all who knew and loved her.

Lori was preceded in death by her parents, Betty and Rock Lipari, as well as many aunts and uncles. She is survived by her loving husband, Chuck Jordan, who cared for her dutifully during her illness and before; her children Aly (John) Lipari of Schoolcraft, Jeffrey Lipari-Jordan of Hancock, Kira (Franz) Griggs of Portage, Wyatt (Alannah) Lipari-Jordan of Parchment, and Patrick (Sureau) Lipari-Jordan of Portage; her beloved grandchildren Colin (Grace), Amelia, and Blake Sager, Andrew Lucas, Le and Flora Griggs; her other favorite person in the world, her brother, Stephen (Megumi) Haynes of Honolulu, Hawaii; and her favorite pet, Spidercat.

Lori will be cremated at Adams Funeral Home in Paw Paw, Michigan. A small celebration of life with her immediate family and close friends will be held at a later date. Thank you to the Bronson oncology team led by Anna Hoekstra, and the Centrica Hospice Care for their compassionate care during Lori’s illness.

In lieu of flowers, friends may make donations to Frontier Nursing University 2050 Lexington Road, Versailles, KY 40383, The West Michigan Cancer Center, 200 N. Park Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, an educational organization, or a charity of your choice.