Kristine Elizabeth Leibrand

After a long battle with synovial cell sarcoma cancer, Kristine Elizabeth Leibrand, 52, of Vancouver, Washington, passed peacefully away on February 23, 2022. Kris was at home with her husband, family, and friends by her side when she drifted off.



Kris was born in La Mesa, California to Linda and Norman Osborn on January 29, 1970.
She lived with her parents in El Cajon, California, a suburb of San Diego, until 1979 when they moved to Milwaukie, Oregon. She attended North Oak Grove Elementary Grade School, Wilbur D. Rowe Middle School, and Rex Putnam High School in Milwaukie.



After graduating from Rex Putnam, she went for a one-month visit to New Zealand, visiting her pen pal from grade school and friends of her grandfather from World War II. Upon her return, she attended a travel agent's school in Portland, Oregon, and became a travel agent with Rainbow Travel in Lake Oswego, Oregon.



Kris and Greg met for the first time in 1992 and the two became a couple. In 1994, Kris and Greg moved to College Station, Texas so Greg could attend Texas A&M University. They decided to move back to Oregon in 1997 and were married in 1999 and moved into a new home in Vancouver, Washington. They enjoyed camping, traveling together, enjoyed SCUBA diving, and seeing what the world had to offer. Their travels included several cruises, one of which was her favorite, going to Alaska.



Kris started working for the city of Gresham in 1998 and spent 24 years with them. Her last position was as an Administrative Assistant for the Budget and Finance Department. During her illness, she was able to work from home for a while.



Kris enjoyed a wide variety of things including reading books (known as Bookworm by her friends), doing craft projects, letterboxing with friends, movies, plays, and all things with fur or feathers. She kept a list of the books she had read, and it easily numbered into the thousands. You could count on her to recommend just the right book for any given person or situation. In 2004 her love of reading led her to a new hobby, letterboxing. Through letterboxing, she would meet new friends and a new passion for solving codes and mysteries. Letterboxing allowed her to travel with friends, meet new people all over the country, and collect thousands of stamp images. This is how she met some of her dearest friends. Her quick wit and attention to detail made her a master clue solver and a key player in every Escape Room she participated in. When she wasn't reading or letterboxing, she was attending plays. She had season tickets to Lakewood Theater and Broadway Rose Theater and would use any excuse in the book to attend a musical with her dear friend Julie. Crafting was another of Kris' passions. She loved to quilt, carve stamps, and try out new mediums and styles of crafting whenever the opportunity arose, and if the craft could involve washi tape, all the better.



Over the years, Kris loved many animals and always had furry friends at home. A multitude of kitties and dogs held special places in her heart. She enjoyed racing and lure coursing with Sophie and Carmen, their Whippets. Weekends often found her at the CASEE center walking her Whippets, Sophie, Carmen, and Ochenta. She also loved flamingos. One of her fondest memories was a behind-the-scenes flamingo experience with her parents at the Oregon Zoo.



Kris will be remembered for her outgoing personality, her wonderful smile, and her ability to make a friend wherever she went. Kris is survived by her husband, Gregory S. Leibrand; mother-in-law, Ann Leibrand; and her parents, Linda and Norman Osborn.



Please join us for a Memorial Service to celebrate the life of Kris; 2 p.m., March 26, 2022, at the Milwaukie Community Center, 5440 SE Kellogg Creek Dr., Milwaukie, OR 97222, followed by a reception with refreshments. To remember a wonderful person who will be greatly missed. Please bring your fondest memories and moments of Kris to share with family and friends.



In lieu of flowers her family suggests contributions in Kris's honor to the NW Sarcoma Foundation, The Pongo Fund or Western Washington Whippet Association (see information below).



A book drive for new and gently used books will be held in her honor.