Elena Marie Lenz

Elena Marie Lenz, 40, beloved wife, daughter, mother, daughter-in-law, sister, and friend, was called to her eternal resting place on Thursday, March 30, 2023.

Elena was born on April 29, 1982 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she was raised by her adoptive parents, Christopher and Paula Rasmussen. She was the oldest of four siblings - Anna Deyhle, Benjamin Rasmussen, and Tessa Rasmussen. Elena attended Albuquerque High School, graduating in 2000. She went on to study nursing at the University of New Mexico, earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in December 2005. She worked as a labor and delivery nurse for nearly ten years before taking a short break to focus on family as a stay-at-home mother, and then returned to the profession for the last four years of her life as an employee health nurse.

In 2001, Elena met Michael Lenz while attending the University of New Mexico. The couple was engaged in 2004 and married on July 30, 2005. Together they welcomed Jakob Lenz (15), Gabriella Lenz (13), and Faith Lenz (8) into the world, fulfilling a life-long wish of Elena's to become a mother.

After the untimely passing of her mother, Paula in 2012, Elena sought to locate her birth mother, resulting in the connection with Mary-Therese Jingle and husband, Curtis Jingle. This connection allowed her to meet her brother, Matthew Jingle, as well as aunts, uncles, and cousins she would have never otherwise had the opportunity to know.

Elena was a natural-born caretaker. She loved spending time with her husband, their children, and a menagerie of pets that included cats, dogs, turtles, frogs, a gecko, and rabbit. She enjoyed taking walks with her family, working in her yard, and was an avid fan of Harry Potter and Star Wars. She also had a penchant for collecting designer purses.

Elena was kind, loving, and tenacious. In April 2021, she was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, an aggressive disease requiring aggressive treatment. Elena was relentless in her fight against cancer, facing down every challenge with grace and striving to maintain a normal life with her family. Her biggest wish was to spend more time with her family and see her children grow and progress through school from Annunciation Catholic School through St. Pius X High School, and beyond into their own life's adventures.

Elena is survived by her husband, Michael Lenz; father, Christopher Rasmussen; son, Jakob Lenz; daughter, Gabriella Lenz; daughter, Faith Lenz; mother-in-law, Debbie Lenz; father-in-law, Mike Lenz; sister-in-law, Amy Lenz; brother, Ben Rasmussen; sister, Anna Deyhle; sister, Tessa Rasmussen; brother, Matthew Jingle; and birth mother, Mary-Therese Jingle.

A Funeral Mass will be held for Elena Monday, April 17, 2023, 10:00 a.m., at Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic Church, 2621 Vermont St. NE. A Celebration of Life Reception will be held at FRENCH - Westside, beginning at 12:00 p.m.