PORTLAND – Janine (Turcotte) Lauze, 71, passed away peacefully at home with family by her side, following her courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. The daughter of Valmore and Cecile (Labreque) Turcotte, Janine was born and raised in Lewiston where she met and married Larry, her husband of fifty years. She raised her family in Skowhegan, before settling in Portland with Larry. Janine graduated from Lewiston High School and St. Mary’s School of Nursing. Her thirty-five-year career in nursing was a passion, and proved to fit her personality perfectly. She brought compassion and her gentle nature to comfort patients in their most vulnerable moments in the operating rooms of St. Mary’s, Redington Fairview, and Maine Eye Center. She was a leader who encouraged her fellow nurses to be their best, and she helped lead the design and build out of a new operating room suite at Redington Fairview in Skowhegan. Her professional accomplishments paled in comparison to her accomplishments as a beloved wife, mother, nana and friend. She touched so many with her kindness and deeply caring personality. Always generous with her love, time, listening and care, Janine showed everyone what it takes to build and maintain lasting relationships. She loved spending time with her grandchildren Rebecca, Cameron and Nora combing the beaches for sand dollars and sea glass, or stuffing the s’mores with extra chocolate. She was fond of saying “to have good friends, you have to be a good friend.” She maintained countless close family and great friends. She strengthened those relationships over camping trips across the state including her favorite Hermit Island, and while traveling the world with Larry. Aside from family and friend time, she took great pride in completing a marathon and a half walk for the Breast Cancer Foundation, and summitting Mount Katadin shortly after retiring. Janine was predeceased by her mother and father, and her daughter Michelle Horger. She is survived by her husband Larry Lauze, son Michael and Michael’s wife Libby, grandchildren Rebecca Horger, Cameron Lauze and Nora Lauze, and sister Pauline Grenier. She is survived and blessed with several caring brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews who carry forward her spirit. Janine’s family wishes to express deep gratitude to Dr Vatche Tchekmedyian and the staff at Maine Heath Cancer Center, Hospice of Southern Maine and Maine Medical Center Oncology Unit for excellent care provided for her. Visitation will be 12-2 p.m., Saturday, May 14, with a memorial service following at 2 p.m. All services will be held at The Fortin Group, 217 Turner Street, Auburn. Online condolences may be shared with her family at http://www.thefortingroupauburn.com.In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Janine Lauze Nursing Scholarship Fund. Donations can be made from a search at GoFundMe.com, or at the link available here.

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