Lawrel Leigh Milne

Lawrel Leigh Milne, age 64, died December 21, 2023 from health issues.

He, along with his twin sister, was born November 24, 1959, in Denver and grew up in Lakewood.

Lawrel enjoyed many activities and hobbies in his youth. He participated in the Boy Scouts and 4-H. He loved the outdoors and was always running around the yard and neighborhood. In winter he kept active indoors. One year he helped build a Heath Kit TV from scratch by first soldering components on circuit boards up to the TV actually working. Other times he assembled various car and airplane models. A favorite activity was building Estes model rockets that the following summer the family would take to launch at his grandparents’ farm in Minnesota. Those visits to the farm were times of unbridled revelry and included helping Grandpa Hart with chores and riding on the hood of his tractor with Spats the dog, racing through cornfields, climbing around in the barn, playing with the piglets, enjoying time with relatives and friends, and indulging in Grandma Hart's outstanding meals.

After graduating from Lakewood High School, Lawrel purchased his first home and pursued education and training to become a residential electrician, a career that he truly enjoyed and spanned his lifetime. Lawrel's chief pleasures were eating, reading, family, friendships, vegetable gardening, roses, camping and tinkering. A long time Littleton, CO resident, throughout the years he made cool improvements to his home such as installing floating cabinets in his kitchen, adding under cabinet lighting in various rooms, placing beautiful rich sculpted molding around his doorways and picture frame molding along the top of his walls. He beautifully decorated his guest room with lush purple walls, lace curtains, a sleigh bed, tiffany lamp, and scented candle. Lawrel hosted many memorable Thanksgiving feasts for family and friends.

Lawrel had a laid-back cheery disposition and the gift of gab enabling him to make friends among all those he met. He was especially close to his many neighbors, work buddies, and family. Being an eternal optimist, he always saw the best in people and situations and made sure you could see them too. Lawrel found pleasure in the simple experiences of each day such as a good long morning stretch in bed while wiggling his toes, savoring a cup of tea or fresh brewed coffee and BACON!, going to a job with a boss, co-workers, and clients he enjoyed, and having his doggie pals by his side. He had an expansive and sometimes off the wall sense of humor, always being at the ready to crack jokes to bring smiles to himself and others.

For many years each Fall, Lawrel enjoyed time high in the mountains above the Norrie Colony at hunt camp. There he would meet current and make new friends. In later years his Mother, sister and pooches joined him. During that time they delighted in making enhancements to their living arrangements to include wall to wall carpeting (complete with carpet pad) to keep the residents toasty and warm, an attached gourmet cook tent, and a private "powder room" with all the expected amenities plus a bonus view of the nearby beaver pond and mountains beyond (a room with a view as Lawrel called it). Replete with comfy beds, indoor and outdoor lighting and seating, an indoor wood fired cook stove, and outdoor gas grill and fire pit "our happy little home away from home" was complete.

Lawrel considered his temporary mountain home as a way to relax, eat lots of elevated home cooked food, and enjoy nature and people. Each season Lawrel always said, "if we get an animal, it's a bonus." Cheering on the success of others, there was never disappointment if he came home with empty coolers because he had filled his belly with yummy meals prepared by friends (an annual complete turkey dinner) and family to include blueberry and walnut pancakes, eggs benedict, breakfast burritos, perfectly seared steaks with baked potatoes and summer harvested veggies, crab cakes with aioli sauce, apple cured pork chops with asparagus and new red potatoes, grilled pizza, colorful stuffed peppers, and much more. There was however one exception - NO canned Dinty Moore Stew! At nearly 10,000 feet in elevation, Hunt Camp was such an enchanting place to be. One day you could be hiking around in the sunshine enjoying the shrinking fall colors and the next morning wake up to several inches of snow where the known landscape became new and had completely transformed into "a winter wonderland."

Viewing things in a matter-of-fact way as was his nature, a couple years ago Lawrel told his Twinie that he wasn't going to live that long. That said, he clearly did not anticipate dying quite when he did because recently, he had purchased a shiny new refrigerator, manicured his front lawn, was preparing to make improvements throughout his home and was drooling over how much prime rib to buy for Christmas dinner. His death surely must have come as quite a surprise to him. Yet, just prior to his passing he experienced joy in the company of and sharing yummy food with his work buddies from Advantage Electric at their annual Christmas party - an event he relished attending every year.

Lawrel was predeceased by his paternal grandparents Robert and Adelaide Milne, maternal grandparents E.W. and Frances Hart, his uncle Lachlan Hart, and father Leigh Robert. He is survived by his mother Kathryn, twin sister Linda and her husband Jim, Aunt Jean and twin cousins Bonnie and Heather and their families, Aunt Carole and cousins Andrew and Sarah and their families, Aunt Barbara and her husband Roger and cousins David and Susan and their families, Cousin Virginia and her husband Ken and their twin sons Lachlan and Garrett and their families.

Prior to the conclusion of the service, family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers will have the opportunity to share their favorite memories of Lawrel. For those who are unable to attend in person or would prefer to have their memories shared without personally speaking, please send them to Linda at nondescriptme@comcast.net by January 30th so she can give them to the officiant to share at the service. A reception will follow the service with food and additional opportunities to visit and reminisce.