Corinne Marie Gasparac Lovestrand passed away at her home in Clayton, North Carolina on July 18, 2014 at the age of 47. Born December 9, 1966 in Yakima, Washington, she grew up in Yakima and graduated from West Valley High School in 1985. She then attended Yakima Business College, from which she graduated in 1987. After working at Yakima Valley Credit Union for several years, she found her true passion in nursing and in 2006, she earned her nursing degree from Yakima Valley Community College.
In 2007, she moved to North Carolina to be with her true love and soulmate, Jeff Coats. She worked as a nurse at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina and later at a rehabilitation facility closer to her home. Corinne was always generous with her time and spirit and volunteered for many years at the Northwest Burn Foundation summer camp in Issaquah, often using up all of her vacation time to serve as a camp counselor for children who had suffered severe burns. In North Carolina, she volunteered at House of Hope, a counseling center for teenage girls, and at Reigns from Above, leading horses for handicapped children.
Corinne was funny, joyful and irreverent. Her smile lit up the room. She leaves behind many friends and family who will miss her greatly.
Corinne is survived by her parents, Rudy and Henrietta Gasparac of Yakima; sister Christine Gasparac and brother-in-law Fred Sharples and their children Finn and Hazel Sharples of San Francisco, CA; fiancé Jeff Coats of Clayton, NC; uncles Ted Stegeman (Freda) of Chehalis, WA; Mike (Pat) Stegeman of Grandview; Tom (Pat) Stegeman of Toppenish; aunts Bernadette (Tom) Brungardt of Vancouver, WA; and Mary (Dick) Grable of Yakima, as well as many cousins and friends.
Her memorial and Christian burial took place on July 24 in Clayton, NC. Her family is hosting a Celebration of her Life on August 2 at the Harman Center in Yakima at 101 North 65th Avenue from 1 to 4 p.m. with a memorial service and reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her memory to the Northwest Burn Foundation.