Terri Colleen (Smith) Boor

On the morning of Wednesday, December 25, 2019, the Lord called Terri Colleen Boor, 63, of Evansville, IN, to her eternal home. Terri was diagnosed in August 2015 with a rare form of cancer of the appendix. It was known upon her diagnosis, that it was incurable, and she continued to live her life with strength, courage, grace, dignity, and love…so much love. We were blessed with different treatment options that at least gave us more time with her, even though it will never be enough.

Terri was born on August 17, 1956  in El Paso, TX, to Donald Smith (Carolyn) and Lula Lorenze (John). She grew up in Brazil, IN, and graduated from Staunton High School in 1975 where she was a cheerleader, Miss Clay County, and was in the rifle corp, along with a singing group. She went on to attend Indiana State University. She was married for 13 years to James “Jim” D. Boor and had three daughters. Her “girls”, as she would say, are the greatest loves of her life.

She is survived by her loving and devoted daughters and sons-in-law, Heather Mitchell (Todd), Ashley Cook (Andy), and Meg Manente (Nick); her heart and joy grandchildren, Mallory Mitchell, Zoey Mitchell, Kowen Cook, Keaton Cook, Kampbell Cook, Krosby Cook, and baby on-the-way, Rocco Manente; niece, Brooke Miller; brothers, Mike Smith, Donald “Chip” Smith, and John M. Lorenze; step-siblings Diana Smith and John Lorenze; many other nieces and nephews; and beloved grand-dog, Roshi. She is preceded in death by her sister, Robin Chervenko.

For those who were fortunate enough to know our mom, you know her girls and grand babies were everything to her. We were her world, and she loved us fiercely and with great affection. We feel blessed she was ours. Her beautiful green eyes watched us closely to keep us safe and always expressed compassion and empathy. Her loving hands and perfectly manicured nails held us through the good times and when life seemed rough, to wipe away tears and provide comfort, to scratch our backs every night when she tucked us in to bed as children, and to hold her grandchildren in a loving embrace. These same hands waved good-bye from her front window every single time we would leave her house, until we were out of her sight. Her incredible smile was full of light and welcomed everyone as if she knew them her entire life. She was open, honest, and no detail was too small, especially when telling a story. Words cannot express the strength of this woman. She was a warrior, a fighter, and an inspiration, to the say the least.

She was proud of her little house, that she worked so hard for, and took pride in caring for it and planting flowers in the warm sun. We would often wake up on Saturday mornings to her dancing around the house to music while she did chores. She loved music and had a wonderful singing voice. She cheered for the Purdue Boilermakers and watched the Indy 500 every year. Her house was the gathering spot for her girls and their friends. She was like a second mom to many of them growing up. She treated them like they were her own and she was always there to listen, give guidance, and never judge. She found great joy in having a house full of our friends and sharing stories on her back patio. She was a trendy dresser, loved family vacations to the beach, laughed easily and loved immensely.

She taught us many valuable lessons, mainly how to work hard, be proud of what you have, that you don’t need a lot to be happy, be open-minded, love deeply, and to face life with fortitude. Her legacy will live on through us, until we are forever reunited. We love and miss you profoundly, Mom. Our loss in this world, is Heaven’s gain.

We would like to thank Terri’s work family, Bosse Title Company, and her neighbors for their support, compassion, and generosity. Also, we are deeply grateful to the doctors and staff who were part of this journey with us: Dr. Kenneth G. Combs, Dr. Anthony Stephens, Dr. Anna Dauer, Dr. Julie Gerhardt, Dr. Fahad Faisal Mir, Dr. Maqbool Ahmed, her surgeons from UPMC in Pittsburgh, Dr. Mohammad Choudry and Dr. David Bartlett, and Shannon Altpeter, NP, the nurses and techs at Gateway Oncology Floor 6A, the Linda E. White Hospice House, and UPMC Shadyside.

A Celebration of  Life will be held from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m., with a memorial service following on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at BOONE FUNERAL HOME EAST CHAPEL – A Family Tradition Funeral Home, 5330 Washington Avenue.

Memorial Contributions may be made to ACPMP (Appendix Cancer Research Foundation): https://acpmp.org/help-us/donate/. In lieu of flowers, spend time with your loved ones, share stories, and hold them tight, she would have wanted that.

Condolences may be made to the family online at boonefuneralhome.net

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Terri Colleen (Smith) Boor, please visit our floral store.