Ladonna Crandall

Heaven has more laughter, compassion, and better “hair do styles” with the recent unexpected passing of LaDonna Marie (Humphrey) Crandall due to a coronary attack at her home in Northglenn, Colorado. LaDonna began her earth journey on 8 December 1949 in Florence, Colorado the daughter of John and Maxine (Coursey) Humphrey, The Humphrey family relocated to Trident, Montana that same cold winter where John served as a foreman at the Ideal Cement plant, while Maxine was a full-time homemaker. LaDonna began her primary school studies in Trident, but later attended the Logan school when the family bought their first home there overlooking the Gallatin River. For high school, LaDonna rode the bus daily to attend Manhattan High School, where she graduated in 1968. While in high school, she was a prankster and active in a host of activities including serving as the Tiger mascot for the boys’ state class C high school basketball championship and later as a cheerleader. She was also active in and served a term as the Worthy Advisor to the Manhattan Rainbow Assembly and through her entire adult life she took to heart the basic tenets of that organization: faith, hope, and charity. LaDonna also especially enjoyed going to Maudlow dances, with her brother Jack. After her high school graduation, she went to “Mr. Mack’s” Cosmetology School in Bozeman and after graduating with honors she began a lifetime career as a hair stylist in Montana and Colorado. LaDonna’s skill as a stylist combined with her cheerful and playful demeanor cultivated a long line of loyal clients that followed her to the moon and back. LaDonna’s sensitive soul and body faced many challenges throughout her life to include dyslexia, the tragic loss of a beloved brother while in her teens, domestic abuse, and a failed marriage; all exacerbating a diagnosed mental health disease. LaDonna was a fighter and each time life threw her to the mat she got up, dusted herself off, endured whispers and snickers from some, and found a way to be hopeful and cheerful, and fortifying her faith and charity to all. She saw good in everyone, even those who hurt her. LaDonna was not a grudge holder. She led an independent life, worked hard, was always on time, and managed her financial matters like a CPA, while always living under her means so she could give 10 percent of her income to the church and other charities like the Salvation Army, help support a boy in need in Central America, while still finding ways to provide some coins to help out friends and neighbors in times of need. She loved to laugh, was a loyal friend, a great listener and prayed for those in need daily. She also enjoyed a good meal (burritos with green sauce was one of her favorites), a cold beer or bourbon, and smoking. LaDonna was a character but someone who is now at peace, waving pom poms from above, and enjoying eternal joy because of above all she believed that all things are possible though Christ. She was preceded in death by her brother Jack, in 1969; older sister Sharon Gates, in 2000; Father John in 2001; and Mother Maxine in 2006. She leaves behind a tremendous and dear friend that she loved like a sister, Debra Ford of Broomfield, CO; Debra’s warm and joyous husband Warren that LaDonna adored; a band of loyal friends and neighbors in the Northglenn area that she cultivated over the years, most notably Catalina Ballesteros and Patricia Soto; numerous cousins particularly Linda Johnson of Littleton, CO; a nephew, John L. Gates, III of Pennsylvania; the kind and sweet Julie Laurel of Arlington, VA and a bratty younger sister Shayne Brannman, also of Arlington, VA. She was loved by us all and will be missed. LaDonna’s remains have been cremated by the Horan & McConaty Funeral Home and her ashes will be scattered at the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, CO and with her family members that are interred in Montana at a later date. She would like Everyone to listen to two songs: Open Heaven by Maranda Curtis and Footnotes on the Map by Jessie Buckley and Bernard Butler. And then go have a beer or bourbon and says cheers to those you love as she said often, “That’ll work”!