Leah Lokan 64

1955 - 2021

LEAH LOKAN, 65 A lover of life and all things outdoors, Leah Davis Lokan, 65, of Chico, Calif., died July 6, 2021, while on a bike packing trip in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. She was living large, as she always did, when she was fatally attacked by a bear as she slept in her tent in Ovando, Mont., eight days into the trip with her sister, Kim Lokan, and longtime friend Katie Boerner. Leah was born Dec. 16, 1955, to Harold and Rita (Davis) Lokan in Corona del Mar, Calif., and grew up in Laguna Beach on the Pacific Ocean, riding horses and developing an affinity for the outdoors and animals. She graduated from Laguna Beach High School in 1974 and later attended Dixie State University and North Idaho College, where she earned a bachelor's degree in nursing. The former Sandpoint, Idaho, resident worked as a registered nurse specializing in surgery recovery at Bonner General Hospital for many years before moving to Chico, Calif., in 2012. She continued nursing in California until she retired in 2020. She planned to spend her retirement traveling, outdoor adventuring and enjoying her home in Butte Creek Canyon in Chico, which she built in 2016. An avid cyclist, Leah raced mountain bikes and was a national champion when she won the Mammoth National Champion Enduro race July 19, 2015, at the age of 59. She often volunteered for anything having to do with bicycling and was always game for the next big adventure. Leah will be remembered for her kindness, volunteerism, generosity, courage, strength, loyalty, athletic prowess, adventurous and exuberant personality, and fabulous cooking. She is survived by her mother, Rita Johnson; sister, Kim Lokan; brother-in-law, David Roast; and niece, Kaia Roast, all of Seattle. She was preceded in death by her father, in 1967. A gathering of friends will be held in Sandpoint July 15 at 6 p.m. on the beach at Hawkins Point, 5507 Sunnyside Rd.; and a celebration of life is planned in Chico July 18, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Honey Run Covered Bridge, 1670 Honey Run Rd. Details for memorials to be held this fall in Sandpoint and Chico will be announced later.