Dolores (Caciari) Lagerquist

Dolores Jean Caciari Lagerquist passed away on Friday, September 29, 2023, at the age of 82.

She was born on September 5, 1941, in Whitefish, Montana. She grew up there with her parents, Vince and Jean (Caffero) Caciari, along with older brother, Joseph "Joe" and younger sister, Benilda "Bobbie." They lived in a dense Italian neighborhood just a few blocks from the Whitefish train station. A fond childhood memory of Dolores’ was how she and all the neighborhood kids would meet the WWII troop trains returning home. They would hand out flowers to them and get tossed coins in return. She lived in Whitefish until she graduated from Whitefish High School in 1959. While in high school, she was active in various social activities and school committees, especially the Pep Club, serving as President her Senior year.

After graduating high school, she left Whitefish to attend Kinman Business School in Spokane, Washington, completing a 1-year course on basic business administration. Her first job was with an insurance company in Spokane. Around 1962, her second job was with Exchange Lumber Company, focusing on accounts receivable. This job led to a transfer to their Missoula, Montana, office with a promotion to Head Bookkeeper.

It was in Missoula in the summer of 1963, that she met Jack (aka John Carl Lagerquist Sr.) “tootin” around the streets of Missoula one night. They started dating, became serious, and were married on April 11, 1964, at St. Charles Catholic Church in Whitefish, Montana. The newlyweds continued to live in Missoula for another year, then moved to Spokane in 1965, working various jobs. While in Spokane, Jack and Dolores welcomed two children into their lives, John and Kara. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Lewiston, Idaho. Dolores had left the workforce at this time as she was very busy managing a household (and often remodeling one) with two children only 16 months apart.

Starting in 1975, the family began a period of time where they were moving a lot because of Jack’s job as a manager of Albertsons grocery stores. They lived in Wenatchee, Washington; Yakima, Washington; Post Falls, Idaho; and landed in Idaho Falls, Idaho, in 1978. Once settled in Idaho Falls, Dolores kept busy with the children's school and church activities as the children were enrolled at Holy Rosary Parish Catholic School. She and Jack were head of fundraising for the Holy Rosary Parent/Teacher organization.

In the Fall of 1984, the family had to move again, this time to Pocatello, Idaho, for a job promotion for Jack. He had left Albertsons grocery by then, but the new job required one more move for the family. Her kids were teenagers by now and driving themselves places so she turned to pursue activities outside the family. Always active in politics, (she remembers passionate discussions around the dinner table when growing up), Dolores started to volunteer for Richard Stallings, as he made a run for a US House of Representative seat. At the campaign office located in Pocatello, she processed mailings and began managing the candidates’ campaign appearance schedule. After Stallings won his election, because of her great skills as a volunteer, she was hired as a full-time staff assistant/case worker in the Pocatello field office. This position she held was the most fulfilling and important work she had ever done outside the home and is one she was very proud of. She held this position until Stallings' term ended in 1992.

During the eight years she worked for Representative Stallings, many changes were happening in her home life. John and Kara were graduating from high school and heading to college. John married Pam in 1989, and also during this time, unfortunately, Jack was laid off from his full-time job that brought them to Pocatello. This lay-off prompted Jack to return to college, finish his Bachelor's, and continue on to earn an MBA from Idaho State University (from 1990-1994 there was a Lagerquist graduating from college somewhere in Idaho). With his new MBA, he was able to be hired by an Idaho National Lab (INL) site contractor in Idaho Falls. This job started when Jack and Dolores were still living in Pocatello and Dolores was still working for Representative Stallings. Jack would just commute 50 miles north each day. When Stallings' term ended, it was time to make another move, this time back to Idaho Falls, to eliminate the daily commute. Once settled there, Dolores was on the hunt for a new job.

It was not a fun feeling for both of them to basically be starting “over” again at middle age. But they had a strong work ethic and felt that, as a team, there was nothing they could not achieve. After a year of temp work, Dolores found an administration position with Argonne National Lab, another contractor for the INL. She became a full-time employee working in the Human Resource department here until she retired in 2004.

Retirement gave her more time for her hobbies. Dolores was fond of reading books and doing crafts, namely knitting, scrapbooking, and some small sewing projects. She continued to be active in the local Democratic Party and her local Catholic Parish. She enjoyed cooking and entertaining, hosting many dinner parties, using whatever holiday or excuse she could come up with. She and Jack also enjoy fixing up and spending a lot of time at their beloved three season cabin in Montana’s Bitterroot valley near Darby.

Dolores will be remembered as a devoted sister, wife, mother, and grandmother.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jack (2022), and her parents.

She is survived by her children, John (Pam) Lagerquist Jr. and Kara Lagerquist; brother, Joseph Caciari; sister, Benilda (Julio) Delgado; two grandchildren, Hannah (Taylor Jones) Lagerquist, and Sean Lagerquist; nieces and nephews; as well as many Caffero and Gallo cousins.

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to your public library in Dolores’ name.

A funeral Mass will be held 11:00 am Friday, October 27, 2023, at Christ the King Catholic Church, 1690 E 17th St. The Rosary will take place at 10:30 am prior to the funeral Mass.