A Life Lived With Zest and Purpose

Colleen D. Raines-Lang, 65, of Louisville, KY went peacefully to sleep in the Lord at home, after a protracted struggle with a rare autoimmune condition. Entering this world in Roseburg, OR, she was the fourth of five children born to Kenneth and Diane Raines, who later moved to Eugene, raising their family in a loving Christian environment.

Fabric and sewing were one of Colleen's passions, having studied under the tutelage of her seamstress mother at a very early age, probably before learning to ride a bicycle. She often mentioned flying off the school bus as a youngster and heading straight into their large sewing room at home, to work on her latest project.

Attending grades 9-12 at Milo Adventist Academy along with two older siblings - a small Christian boarding school in Days Creek, OR - was made possible by the sacrificial generosity of her parents, and had a positive influence on Colleen's formative years. She loved music and often spoke of the joy in being a member of Milo's outstanding choir under the expert direction of their beloved Moses Chalmers, PhD. Colleen also sharpened budding cooking skills at Academy, perfecting the art of dorm room grilled cheese sandwiches using an upturned clothes iron and aluminum foil. Carpentry was also honed at this time, resulting in a passageway between adjoining rooms, covered by full-length mirrors, which stymied the young hall monitors when they would find her in one room, then the other, without apparently having employed a door or hallway. Her other vivid memories of Milo were raucous but hilarious scavenger hunts for items up to and including mattresses, playing basketball in the gymnasium riding rubber-soled donkeys, and especially of a school staff who truly loved and cared for their students' academic, physical, and spiritual well-being.

After college, Colleen moved to the Seattle area, obtaining employment in mortgage banking. It was during this time that a spur-of-the-moment flight in early 1989 to the East Coast resulted in a chance encounter while 'stranded' at the diminutive Bader Field Airport terminal, with her future husband Liam, a young Commercial Airline Pilot. They became engaged after a short courtship and were married in Eugene, OR in the fall of that year. During one visit to NJ, a journey to the NYC garment district was undertaken, wherein Colleen sourced a bolt of silk fabric, proceeding to design and sew her exquisite wedding dress while staying with a sister in TX.

Following their relocation to KY in early 1991, Colleen settled into the vocation of full-time homemaking, providing an oasis for her husband, and two adopted daughters who joined their forever family in the early 2000's. Adding to the family over the years were many beloved feline companions who brought much joy, comfort and purrs. She singlehandedly located and negotiated the purchase of their first home - sans realtor - while Liam was out of the country with his work. This was shortly followed by a total renovation of the yard spearheaded by Colleen, who also accomplished much of the heavy labor and planting of many new shrubs, trees, and flowers. Culinary skills were also perfected, resulting in many mouth-watering masterpieces in the ensuing decades.

Colleen had a tremendously gifted eye for color, perspective, design, aesthetics, and detail. She not only knew what looked or tasted good, whether it be art, clothing, architecture, or food, but could also articulate reasons why or why not. In later years, she took up both fresh and artificial flower arranging, creating some truly stunning displays. As a licensed CP - certified precisionist - no matter the task Colleen's motto was taken from Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might; ...” - and then do it over a few times if necessary to ensure it's 'just right!' Anything tackled received her full attention, with a matching tenacity that would make a barnacle grin.

In addition, Colleen was very devoted to her daughters, taking on the role of Magistra in providing the bulk of classical homeschooling instruction; mastering Latin grammar for the first time, designing worksheets for the same, brushing up on subject matter in Mathematics and the Sciences (not required for Art and Language), and skillfully conveying these concepts to her young charges. It wasn't all work and no play, however, as she loved taking them on a wide array of local excursions as well as fantastic family vacations at the beach.

A committed Christian believer and lifelong member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, one of Colleen's fondest memories was embarking on a mission trip to Borneo in the early 1990's with a group of students, helping to build a rudimentary brick structure for worship, and ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the precious believers there. Her faith was strong, and the joy in her final days was being confident in the assurance of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

She is preceded in death by her father, Kenneth Raines, and survived by her mother, Diane

Brandt-Raines; siblings Gregory (Doris) Raines, Catherine (Ellis) Hainey, Scott (Michelle) Raines, Erin (Jamie) Jensen, beloved husband, and young adult daughters: Liam, Celestine and Calliandra Lang, as well as many nephews and nieces.

A Celebration of Life on Sunday April 19, 2026 from 1:00-4:30 PM to gather and share memories will be immediately followed by a Memorial service in the chapel at the Fern Creek Funeral Home, 5406 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40291.

Colleen loved flowers, which would be welcomed, or if so desired, donations may be made to Love Without Boundaries (LWBkids.org), Amazing Facts (AmazingFacts.org), or Adventist World Radio (AWR.org)