Larisa Ann Slauson

Larisa Ann Slauson was born on October 30, 1971 in Greeley, Colorado. She spent her first few years of schooling in the Weld RE-5J & Thompson School Districts. In 1980 Larisa, her brother and mom moved to Germany, where she attended Bad Hersfeld Elementary in the DODDS school system. She returned to the Thompson Schools in 1982 and permanently returned to Germany in 1986, to reunite with her mother and step-father. Larisa continued her education at Fulda American High School and embraced her German culture, becoming fluent in German. She was an avid soccer player for the Fulda Falcons, as well as a basketball and cross country team member. She was honored as Lady Falcon when she graduated in 1990 and received a scholarship to UNC in Greeley, Colorado. An ACL injury railroaded her aspiration to play soccer at UNC. Larisa graduated in 1994 with a BA in political science and a minor in German. In 1996, Larisa was hired by Oppenheimer Funds as a business analyst and remained there until 2009. She was then hired by the Colorado State Department of Labor in the unemployment division in 2010 and was an Employment Specialist 3 at the time of her passing. Many thanks to her supervisors, Jeff, David and Jeff, who helped to make this a rewarding and pleasant environment to work in; like the Mastercard ad, Priceless! Larisa was an avid Bronco fan and as a season ticket holder, attended all of their home games and countless media events and signings. Hopefully God has a special place for this orange and blue football fan! She also enjoyed scrapbooking, card making and made many wonderful artistic pieces of jewelry. She was an avid reader and knew when the next best seller of her favorite authors was available. Larisa loved family trips to Mexico and drinking blue coral drinks with her sister-in-law, while relaxing by the pool and beach. She was the president of her HOA and enjoyed her breakfast club outings with friends from UNC. Thanks to Angie, Heather, Charlotte, and most especially to Jen, for always being there for her. Thank you to her co-workers, Rich, Andrea, Vicky, Jorge and Katrina for their support in the workplace. Larisa leaves behind her beloved family: her mother Celia, dad (step-father) Detlef, brother/sister-in-law Jason and Bradi, niece Sydney, nephew Blake, and her faithful companion lab Mocha, as well as aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends and co-workers. Larisa was preceded in death by her loving maternal and fraternal grandparents, her father Larry, special uncle Al and other family members. Also, companion pets, Monty, Buddy and feline Carnita. The family would like to say a special thanks to her friend, Cassie, who volunteered to donate a kidney to Larisa. We will never forget this selfless attempt at the gift of life, but alas, time ran out for Larisa. Larisa was incredibly loved and was a vibrant, feisty and somewhat hard-headed woman. Her work ethic was paramount and she intended to return to her job. Unfortunately, she lost the last of her many battles to lupus, CUA caused by dialysis and a myriad of other illnesses. She was never alone in her battles, as she was always supported by her mom and dad. Larisa was a true warrior to the end and fought courageously as she tried to overcome all the hurdles in her life. She fought like a Bronco! The family would like to sincerely thank everyone who had an impact on Larisa's life. Cremation will occur and a Memorial Service to celebrate her life will be held at Horan and McConaty Funeral Home; 1091 S. Colorado Blvd in Denver on March 26, 2018 at 11:00am. She wanted a Bronco theme, so orange and blue attire is encouraged. All guests are invited to attend the reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lupus Foundation or Denver Hospice. Condolences can be brought to the memorial service as well.