Laura Bess

5/15/1976 — 4/20/2023

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Laura Tiffany (McTevia) Bess, of Orofino, passed away Thursday, April 20, 2023, with her loved ones by her side after a long, courageous battle with cancer. She fought so hard to be able to spend more time with her loved ones, especially her kids. She continued to be her upbeat cheerful self to the end.

Laura was born May 15, 1975, to Tim and Mary McTevia in Victorville, Calif. In 1979 Laura started kindergarten in Big Bear Lake, Calif. The family moved to Orofino in 1980, where she attended school through her senior year, graduating in 1993. She was an active cheerleader at OHS, lettered in Track and sang in the choir.

When she was 16, the peppy cheerleader became unlikely friends with the captain of the basketball team, Michelle (Platt) Smith, and they would be lifelong best friends. The two shared many adventures together over the years, including weddings, babies and travel — recently with a trip down the Pacific Coast in 2021.

After graduating high school, Laura enlisted in the Navy, and was one of the first women ever stationed on the USS Abraham Lincoln. Aboard the Lincoln, she saw a lot of the world and often told fond memories of her time in the Persian Gulf. While on the Lincoln, she met and married Frank Kaminski, and in 1997, her first son Michael was born while the family lived in Everett, Wash. Soon after, the family moved to Lewiston, and their daughter Rebekah (Bekah) was born. The family moved to Bothell, Wash, where the couple would later divorce.

Laura was proud to be a single mom and went to school to receive her Associate’s degree from Shoreline Community College in 2005 and graduated from Everett Community College with her RN degree in 2007. She worked several different nursing jobs, and she loved the work she did.

In 2008, she met the love of her life, Chris Bess. Laura moved to Tennessee to be with her love, and they lived there for just over 2 years. Chris and Laura were married in 2008, and the next year, their son Isaac was born, completing their family. They moved to Orofino in 2012, where they have been ever since.

Besides her career, Laura was an avid scrapbooker and card maker. She loved art and took up painting in recent years.

In 2019, Chris and Laura went on a trip to Europe with Michelle and her husband Matt, where Laura got to visit her dream destination, Paris, as well as Scotland and Ireland. Laura was not feeling her best on that trip, and later that year, she was diagnosed with neuroendocrine small cell cancer. She was determined to fight this with everything she had. She was given a diagnosis of 2 years, but she blew past that like the warrior she was. She continued to fight to the best of her ability to be able to see her youngest son grow up.

Laura was preceded in death by her brother Tom McTevia, who Laura referred to as her guardian angel, all four grandparents and three uncles. A small service will be held for immediate family and close friends.

She is survived by her loving husband Chris Bess; her children Michael Kaminski, Rebekah Kaminski and Isaac Bess; parents Mary Thompson McTevia and Tim McTevia; many cousins and aunts and uncles, and her best friend Michelle (Matt) Smith.

We will miss Laura always but were extremely fortunate that she was and will always be a part of our lives and our hearts.

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Condolences

Pamela

Such a kind woman!

Monday, May 22, 2023 3:57 PM

Lori L Barkley

Laura was such a a bright spot in our lives. When times are darkest remember the joy she brought into this world. Keep it in your heart to carry you through.

Thursday, April 27, 2023 11:40 AM