Larayne Kaye Glidewell “Lala” was born on May 18, 1981 and passed peacefully into the next life on April 26, 2023 at home in San Diego, California.
Larayne’s life impacted thousands of people for good, with her infectious optimism, resilient spirit, and pure heart. While sorrow and struggle played a part in her journey, the light of her joy and persistent striving shone brighter than any shadows. Larayne’s vocation as a postpartum doula, nanny, and general “baby whisperer” took many forms and although she never parented children of her own, Larayne’s “kids” bear the legacy of her love. Larayne’s physical presence on earth ended after a journey with metastatic breast cancer, a disease which accompanied her for the last three years of her life, but that she faced with courage, tenacity, and a will to either heal from physically, or teach everyone around her how to die with grace and gratitude in the process.
She is survived by her husband, Carter Lee, parents, Mary and Charlie Heineke, siblings, Grant and Tamara Glidewell, CJ Heineke, nephew Logan, and countless family who love her so. We celebrate Larayne’s life and look forward with joy to meeting her again in some other way—a glimmer of pink glitter, a butterfly beating its wings, or in life’s most gracious and joyful teachers. A celebration of Larayne’s life will be held on June 10th, 2023 in Poway Community Center, San Diego from 2-4 pm and one in Texas on August 5th, 2023, with details to come.
