Lori Anne Kirchner

Lori Anne Kirchner, age 62, passed away peacefully in her home on October 9, 2026.

Lori’s official cause of death is called protein calorie malnutrition. Her family and close friends believe this appears to be related to a motorcycle accident in 2007 in which Lori was involved. (She lost her then-boyfriend, Jamie Penwell, in that accident.)

She suffered a severe brain injury at that time, as well as shattered bones in one leg. It has been suggested that her cause of her demise is a result of that accident 20 years later and that the brain injury likely “caught up with her neurological system.” Because the pathways between her brain and physical body rapidly disconnected near the end of her life, she suffered organ failure. Lori overcame many of the problems usually associated with such a brain injury for much of the 20 years.

Lori’s parents, William L. Kirchner and Ella Jean (née Fritsch) Kirchner, as well as a sister, Catherine Kirchner, proceed her in death.

Lori leaves behind two older sisters; Nancy (Gary) Juengling and Pamela (Douglas) Harper. Lori has one niece, Amanda (Jeremy) Vowell, and three nephews, Matthew Juengling; Kyle (Julie Koenig)Harper and Derek (Natasha) Harper. Her great-nephews are Caleb, Chase and Cole Vowell. Lori was formerly married to Elbert “Rusty” Spencer. The marriage was relatively short, but Rusty’s impact on the family still exists today. Lori has numerous friends. Lori opened her home to friends who needed a place to stay, sometimes for lengthy periods of time. She fed and provided shelter when possible, which, near the end of her life, possibly led to her not caring for herself. She is looked at, by these friends, as having a big heart. She believed that everyone deserved a second chance. Close friend, Pam Wertz, became Lori’s caregiver. She not only cared for Lori, but she managed the home as well and did a beautiful, caring job with both. Her contribution to Lori’s life, which went back many years but was especially noteworthy near the end, is beyond the family’s ability to express gratitude. The same is true for other close friends, such as Jeff, Gina and Raya, who were also helpful with Lori’s care near the end. There are too many friends to list here.Lori loved animals of all kinds. Often her home, albeit small, had at least two dogs and several cats residing there at any given time. It seems fair to say, without a doubt, that Lori would have asked a person to leave her home before an animal. One of her most cherished memories was visiting a wild wolf preserve. She loved to visit mountains and beaches.It needs to be said, as those that knew her well will agree, that Lori had a temper that may have been as big as her heart. She could be very mean and her temper could rise very quickly. She did not like being told what to do and she did not like finding out that she was mistaken about being told what to do. She held onto grudges for years. ( All of this was true even before the brain injury.

A memorial gathering will take place at Radel Funeral Home, 650 Neeb Rd. 45233 on Thursday October 22, 2026 from 4pm until the time of the memorial service at 6pm