Lori Ann Peterson Hurst

LOGAN, UTAH: Lori Ann Peterson Hurst passed away on 20 September, 2015 while on vacation in Payson, Arizona at the age of 53. She was born in Salt Lake City Utah on May 24, 1962 to Val and Marceil Peterson and was the 3rd of six children. Lori’s family moved to Logan, where she grew up and attended school. In high school she was active in student government, gymnastics and was the year book editor. She attended Utah State University where she worked at a physics laboratory making circuit boards for space experiments. While in college she met and married Gary Lasson Hurst in the Logan LDS Temple on December 19, 1981. She graduated Cum Laude from USU with a BS Degree in Computer Science in June of 1984 and a minor in Math.
Following graduation the couple moved to Los Angeles, where Gary completed a Master’s Degree and Lori worked for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In June of 1985 both Lori and Gary accepted jobs at Morton Thiokol where she worked 3 years as a computer programmer, first living in Brigham City and later moving back to their home town of Logan. Their family expanded in July 5, 1988 with the birth of their first child, Jessica Ann Hurst. Later that year the couple moved to Sugar Land, Texas where Gary was employed by ExxonMobil and Lori worked for Ferranti International maintaining control system software. On September 7, 1990 their family grew again with the arrival of their 2nd child, Ryan Peterson Hurst. Ryan and his mother shared a special bond and he was a constant source of pride and joy for her. The couple’s third child, Rachael Fern Hurst was delivered on February 14, 1997, but passed away at birth. After Rachel’s passing, Lori returned to the workforce and was employed by Shell Oil Company for 3 years where she installed and maintained refinery control systems.
Lori was active in the LDS church where she served in various callings in the Young Women’s, Primary and Relief Society presidencies. Between 2004 and 2006 the family moved to Oslo Norway. There Lori became enamored with photography, taking many pictures of the beauties of Scandinavia, exploring the major cities of Europe and learning Norwegian. In 2006 the family moved to their current residence in Richmond Texas where she continued with her passion for photography and took up blogging and Facebooking. In 2009-2010, Gary had another foreign work assignment in Brisbane, Australia, but with Ryan finishing High School and starting college, the family did not move to Australia. Lori kept her home base in Texas but took over a dozen trips to Australia, taking pictures and blogging every step of the way.
Around 1992 Lori became ill with Lyme disease that went undiagnosed until early 2000. By that time the disease had severely compromised her immunize system and destroyed the cartridge in all of her joints, making it extremely painful for her to move. She has lived these last few years in extreme pain and is finally at peace.
She is survived by her husband Gary and children Jessie and Ryan, as well as her parents Val and Marceil Peterson, and siblings Kelli (Jerry) Hooker, Jodi (Brad) Sandberg, Jill (Mark) Alvord, Jeff (Penny) Peterson, and Marci Peterson. She is proceeded in death by her daughter Rachael Fern Hurst. Funeral Services were held on Saturday, September 26th, 2015 in the LDS Richmond Stake Center at 9950 South Mason, Richmond Texas.
She will be buried in the Logan Cemetery on Saturday October 3rd, 2015 where a graveside service will be held at 11:00 am. under the direction of Allen-Hall Mortuary. Condolences and memories may be shared online at www.allenmortuaries.net