Lonnie Generaux

Lenore Mae (Lonnie) Generaux was born October 28, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois to Lorayne and Adolph Glass. She was their second child, and first daughter.

Growing up, Lonnie idolized her older brother, Randy, and took a part in caring for her two younger sisters, Lauren and Romelle. Early on, she found that she loved to draw and paint and enjoyed studying art in school. When the children were in elementary school, the family migrated west, first stopping to live for a couple of years in Spokane before continuing to Los Angeles and settling in the San Fernando Valley, where Lonnie spent the later part of her childhood and teenage years.

In school, Lonnie continued to study art and later went on to community college where she learned graphic illustration. In her early 20s, she got a job as a technical illustrator at Bechtel, inc. and worked doing illustrations for technical manuals on engineering and mechanical parts. In her mid-twenties, Lonnie met Steve Generaux through a friend of a friend. As it turned out, Steve was a friend of Lonnie’s brother, Randy, though they had no idea that they all knew each other until Steve picked her up for dinner one night.

Steve and Lonnie married in 1972 and went on to have two daughters, Nicole (Nikki) and Michelle. Steve joined the L.A. City Fire Department and supported his wife and family, while Lonnie pursued her interest in art. She was always crafting, drawing, or painting and taught her girls to do the same. Among the techniques she mastered were stained glass, glass etching, sewing, crochet, knitting, cake decorating, wood carving, gun-engraving, permanent makeup tattoo, kite making, decoupage, tole painting and more recently, antler carving and scratch art. Her art won national acclaim through Artist’s Magazine and she donated many pieces of her work to local non-profits such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Lonnie and Steve moved to Hope, Idaho, in 2002 and built the home of their dreams — the perfect showcase for Lonnie’s art. Their girls both moved to the area as well and proceeded to have families of their own. Sadly, Steve passed away in 2011, and Lonnie missed her husband and best friend dearly. She was comforted by her kids and grandkids, but her declining health made it clear that she should not be on her own. Michelle and her family moved in and cared for Lonnie for the past several years.

On Sunday, March 20, Lonnie lost her battle with COPD and fell asleep peacefully, surrounded by family.

She is survived by her daughters, Nikki (Ryan) Luttmann and Michelle Van Stone; her grandchildren, Hana and Leina Luttmann, and Kane and Madison Van Stone; her sister, Romelle Eaton; her sister-in-law, Lisa Glass; and nieces and nephews, Brandi, Brieann and Brittany, and Chad and Dustin. She is preceded in death by her husband, Steve; her grandson, Kai; her brother, Randy; and her sister, Lauren. She will be missed.

Family and friends are invited to sign Jan’s online guest book at coffeltfuneral.com.

Arrangements are under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service.