Lou Anne Insprucker

Lou Anne Johnston Insprucker was born March 14, 1942, in Los Angeles and died August 8, 2025, in Pasadena. Lou Anne was the eldest of the 13 children of Louis and Ann Johnston.
 
Lou Anne began her many years of Catholic education at St. Mary Magdalen and later attended St. Bede the Venerable. She went on to Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy on a full academic scholarship before continuing her studies at Mount St. Mary's College, Chalon Campus. At just 21 years old, she began her career in education, teaching sixth grade at St. Bede.
 
During this time, Lou Anne met and fell in love with Glenn Insprucker, a Loyola High graduate and Loyola University student in the ROTC program. They married on December 28, 1963. Upon Glenn's graduation, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, and together they began their life as a military family, first in Quantico, Virginia, and later at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. Lou Anne loved being a military wife and took great pride in supporting Glenn-even down to perfectly ironing his uniforms.
 
In August 1966, Glenn was deployed to Vietnam. Shortly after his arrival, he was killed in action during an ambush on September 17, 1966. At just 23 years old, Lou Anne became a widow. She never remarried.
 
Always an avid learner, Lou Anne briefly left teaching to pursue a new field: computer programming. She taught herself COBOL and, true to her nature, her very first program ran without one mistake. But Lou Anne was looking for something more fulfilling and the rest of Lou Anne's career was largely dedicated to her work for the Catholic church.
 
Lou Anne became the secretary at St. Andrew's Abbey, a Benedictine Monastery in Valyermo, CA. It was here that she met some of the most influential people in her life. Saint and scholar Fr. Vincent Martin OSB, the founder of the Abbey, became her friend and mentor. She also shared a lifelong friendship with Fr. Blaise Brockman, who remained a treasured companion until her death.
 
In 1986, Lou Anne returned to the classroom as a teacher at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary School in Pasadena. Three years later, she became principal, where she introduced advanced math, Latin, and a partnership with the Pasadena Shakespeare Company. After 17 years, she was recruited by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to serve as Director of Elementary Personnel, overseeing 220 schools. She held this position until her retirement in 2017.
 
Lou Anne was the perfect eldest child, big sister, and loving aunt. She knew everything important happening in everyone's lives and cared deeply. She was wise, generous, kind, funny, determined, and had the family's welfare always at the heart of everything she did. In times of trouble it was, "Have you talked to Lou Anne
" Good news
Make sure Lou Anne was told first. She shared her big heart with her little dogs, particularly Jack Russells, Maggie and Maud, and Chihuahuas, Bill and Belle.
 
Lou Anne is survived by her family: Mike, Mary, Pat (Yvonne), Tom, Joe (Rosemary), Gigi, Bernadine, Louie, Gaby (Jim), Geri, and Rob (Juliet) . She was a beloved "Aunt Lou Anne" to her many nieces and nephews.
 
She was predeceased by her husband, 1st LT Glenn Insprucker, USMC, her parents, and her youngest sister, Annie Johnston Skibinski.
 
Lou Anne, we miss you and love you. We are thrilled you are reunited with your Glenn.
Per Lou Anne's request, a private family funeral will be held.