Denise Simone Luken, resident of Grande Prairie, AB, and formerly of Fairview, AB, passed away on Sunday, June 5, 2022, at the age of 83 years.

Denise was born May 9, 1939, in St. Paul, AB, to Alma and Joseph Lagasse. She graduated from Notre Dame High School in Dawson Creek, BC, before going on to study Medical Record Librarian at UBC. She worked in medical records at Vancouver General, Dawson Creek, and Edmonton General Hospitals. She also was chosen to work as a bilingual hostess at Montreal Expo in 1967.

Denise played the piano beautifully and provided many hours of singalongs at Memere and Pepere’s house, especially at Christmas time.

It was while working in Edmonton, AB, that Denise met her beloved Joseph Luken. They wed on February 25, 1978, and moved to the Fairview farm. Denise and Joe welcomed all to visit the farm, especially children who loved to play with Sandy the dog and to climb on the farm equipment. After retirement from farming, they moved to Grande Prairie.

Following Joe’s death in 2015, Denise moved to the Heritage Lodge in Grande Prairie. She was quick at the computer and loved keeping up with family news on Facebook, and when the pandemic began, she started keeping in touch through video calls.

Denise is survived by her brother Claude Lagasse as well as numerous nephews and nieces.

Denise was predeceased by her husband Joe Luken; her parents Alma and Joseph Lagasse; as well as her brother Jean Louis Lagasse.

The family would like to thank the staff at Heritage Lodge for providing a kind and caring home for Denise. She enjoyed the many activities and theme nights offered at the lodge and delighted in the prizes she won at special events.

Denise was a bright light to so many lives and had a quick wit. She was known to many as “Matante” and treated her many nieces and nephews as her own children. She always had a kind word to lift people up. Denise will be sorely missed by all who knew her and will never be forgotten.