By JEFF CLEMETSON | La Mesa Courier

La Mesa resident Gloria Ann “Lori” Ciprian was a nature lover who enjoyed her daily walks around Lake Murray, often stopping to feed the geese that she befriended over the years.

When Ciprian died on June 15 after a yearlong battle with cancer, her human friends knew that the best way to honor her life would be some kind of memorial at Lake Murray. After making inquiries to Mission Trails Regional Park and the San Carlos Recreation Center, it was determined that a tree planted near the baseball fields adjacent to the lake would be the most viable option.

In a matter of days, Ciprian’s boyfriend Anthony Bailey and friend Anna Falco were able to raise the $350 for the tree through donations from friends and family. The tree is expected to be planted sometime in the next three months.

Ciprian was born in Loraine, Ohio and moved to San Diego in 1984. She attended UCSD on a scholarship where she studied theater.

When the San Diego Convention Center first opened, she worked as a hostess on the first San Diego Spirit Team — chosen out of a group of 2,400 applicants for the position.

For over 20 years, she worked as an usher at Humphrey’s By The Bay Concert Series. She wrote numerous articles for the San Diego Reader and small papers.

“Lori loved life and Lake Murray and could be seen at the lake daily,” commented Bailey in a brief obituary he wrote for his girlfriend. “She skated, jogged and walked the lake talking to friends. She loved the birds and animals at the lake and took care of the injured ones. We will all miss our beautiful ‘Lady of the Lake.’”

Falco has invited members of the community who knew Ciprian to share stories or well wishes about her by sending them by email to [email protected].

— Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at [email protected].