Teresa Deshon

Teresa Deshon passed away peacefully on Dec. 2, 2009.

A  longtime resident of Sandpoint, Idaho, Teresa was born in Elk City, Okla. She is survived by her sister, Alice Jenkins; her children, Cheryl Paton, Richard Deshon and Daniel Deshon, III (Donna); her grandchildren, Polly Maxwell (Shawn), Emmy Wise (Trent), John Deshon (Lynn), Daniel Deshon IV, Michelle Ostrom, Stacie Ostrom and Edward Ostrom; and her great -grandchildren, Madelyn Maxwell, Peyton Maxwell, Alyssa Deshon, Kelsey Deshon, Samantha Deshon, Kyle Deshon and Seth Haley.

In her long full life, Teresa participated in numerous civic activities on both the local and state level, as well as with organizations which supported her family and friends.

Teresa served on the Sandpoint City Council from 1978 to 1988 and was also a City Planning and Zoning Commission member.

She helped initiate The Legion of Fine Arts, the precursor to the Pend Oreille Arts Council, and was a member of the Festival at Sandpoint’s advisory board.

She was involved in establishing the Sandpoint City Beach and construction of the bleachers at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. She was also an avid participant in “Lost in the ’50s.”

In 1987, then-Gov. Cecil Andrus made her the first appointee to the fledgling Idaho Lottery Commission, where she served until 2006. Teresa also served on other state commissions involving health care finance and judicial selection.

Teresa was named a “Woman of Wisdom” in 2001, by Women Honoring Women, a Sandpoint organization celebrating women who touch lives in the community.

She served as treasurer for Beta Sigma Phi, an international women’s friendship network. She was involved in the Inland Empire Chapter of the Girl Scouts.

She was active in the March of Dimes, and dedicated to helping the developmentally disabled.

She traveled the globe and her great pleasures in life were the company of family and friends, playing golf and bridge, and entertaining at her home on the lake. She will be sadly missed.

A celebration of her life will be held on Dec. 8, 2009, at 3 p.m. at the Sandpoint Events Center, 102 Euclid Ave., Sandpoint, Idaho.

In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to L’Arche, 703 E. Nora, Spokane, WA 99207 or Artisans, 200 E. 2nd, No. A, Spokane, WA 99202.