Lora Degnan

Lora Spalding Degnan, 92, of Chattanooga, passed away peacefully Friday, Dec. 6, 2013. She was born Jan. 30, 1921 in Monrovia, Calif., to the late Lawrence Wells Spalding and Daisy Wright Spalding. Lora grew up in Glendora, Calif., which at the time was a small foothill community east of Los Angeles. She enjoyed summers spent on Balboa Island with family. Lora was educated in Glendora, graduating from high school and junior college. Her early career was spent as a secretary for Alcoa in Los Angeles until her marriage and became a mother, busy homemaker and active volunteer with the Girl Scouts. When her three children were older she returned to school to become a registered nurse, receiving her B. S. from the University of Redlands. Lora is remembered for her smile. It announced her. She had a vitality and a sassy joy for life. Her wit was hilarious unless you were the target. She loved to laugh. Lora was a devoted reader all her life and loved animals as much as they loved her. She could often be found with either a book or a cat in her lap, sometimes both! Lora was a much-loved and generous mother and enjoyed spending time with her family. Although she spent most of her life as a native Californian, she had the adventure of moving to Lookout Mountain, Tenn., in the summer of 2003, a place she truly loved. As a member of Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, she attended the Brock Sunday School Class. In her final years Lora enjoyed many visits from the pastoral staff at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, especially from her friend Rev. Joseph V. Novenson. She was preceded in death by her former husband Winthrop Gilman McSparran and was the widow of Joseph R. Degnan. She is survived by her three children, Robert L. (Dee) McSparran, of Newport Beach, Calif., Pamela M. (Lowell) Peterson, of Lookout Mountain, Tenn., and Carol (Kenneth) St. John, of Castle Rock, Colo.; grandchildren, Allison (Mark) Basile, of Genesee, Colo., Ian (Jennifer) St. John, of Dallas, TX, Robert Peterson, of Irvine, Calif., Suzanne (Dustin) Keirstead, of Campbell, Calif., Robbi (Garry) Banks, of Dallas, TX, Holley Taylor, of Dallas, TX, Tammy (David) Rutchman, of Dallas, TX; great-grandchildren, Michaela Taylor, Camryn Taylor, Caleb Taylor, Shayli Banks, Lauren Rutchman of Dallas, TX, Kensington Rose Basile, of Genesee, Colo., and Christopher Lawrence Keirstead, of Campbell, Calif. A memorial service will be held at Noon on Friday, Jan. 10, 2014 at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, located at 316 North Bragg Avenue, Lookout Mountain, TN 37350. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be sent to Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, or DART, P. O. Box 9, Lookout Mountain, TN 37350 (or donate online at: dartsaveslives.org). The family would like to acknowledge the outstanding and compassionate care given her by the doctors, nurses and staff of St. Barnabas Nursing Home. Visit www.heritagefh.com to share words of comfort to the family. Arrangements are by Heritage Funeral Home, East Brainerd Road.