Lilac (Lolly) Luella Koeppe nee Brown

Lilac (Lolly) Luella Koeppe nee Brown passed away on July 6, 2011. She fought valiantly against an aggressive cancer for over a year and a half after pointedly refusing to accept her oncologist's declaration that she only had weeks to live. Lolly was born in California but traveled extensively during her childhood, attending more than 40 schools. She was a bright child and a voracious reader who was known for her adventurous, rebellious spirit. She developed into a beautiful young woman who easily won pageant titles for Miss Hawthorne, Miss Ascot Raceway and Miss Gardenia and became a Jergen's Lotion hand model. She married Wayne Koeppe and together the young couple moved to Downey in 1968. Lolly found great fulfillment in motherhood. Her home was a place of happiness and wonder, filled with toys, songs and laughter. After her two natural daughters, Richelle (Shelly) and Rebecca, had grown, Lilac filled her home with foster children in need of her special brand of nurturing. The plight of these children became Lolly's lifework and she labored tirelessly to advocate for them. She never turned a child in need away and fostered over 50 children during a 16 year career. She adopted 4 children with her husband and co-adopted 5 children as a grandmother with her daughter, Shelly. Lolly became involved with Downey Unified School District, working to advocate for children with special needs. She is survived by her sister, Connie Hestily, her brother, Richard Brown, her husband, Wayne, her children: Shelly, Rebecca, Briana, Aaron, Jake and Rachel, as well as her grandchildren with Richelle: Reina, Nate, Kirt, Daniel and Holly Anne and, finally, her grandchildren via Rebecca and her husband, Aaron De La Torre: Tristan, Branigan, Piper Rose and Atticus. Lolly touched many lives with her work with foster children and a fund has been set up in her name at Public Counsel to provide free legal counsel for those children in need of loving families and a voice to speak for them. You can send funds to PUBLIC COUNSEL 610 SOUTH ARDMORE LOS ANGELES, CA 90005, or you can donate directly at http://www.publiccounsel.org/. ********** Published: July 21, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 14