Sometimes you just know.
This is how Scott Angel felt when he first met his wife, Lori Beth, and rightfully so. By the way he and anyone else describes Lori Beth (LB), you can just tell she is an amazing woman. She is such a special soul and has such a heart for others, and that is one of the many reasons why she and Scott clicked right off the bat.
“She is the most caring individual in the world,” Scott said. “She never uses the word hate because she loves all. She is the handy person around the house along with being the do-all when it comes to planning anything. Her friends would say she is the most loyal, caring, dependable person in the world. Being with her now over 30 years, she is one of a kind.”
Wholesomeness is not a trait that many people possess, but it is certainly one that LB possesses, along with genuineness, selflessness, care and so many other amazing qualities.
She would do anything for anyone, and there is not a single person in her life who has something bad to say about her. LB will be the first person to drop whatever she is doing to take care of you, and she is always checking up on people in need.
“LB is good to those around her with her kindness and caring,” her mother, Diana, said. “She is always willing to help out in any way, sharing herself, her time and her home. She is not imposing on anyone, but you just know that if you ask she is there.”
She will never be overbearing and will always give people the necessary space, but she is always going to make sure that the people around her know she is there if they need anything.
And while she is very much her own person, much of who LB is today can be attributed to who her family is. Her loving parents always wanted what was best for her, and she grew up near her Grandma and her cousins, so family time has always been a virtue for her.
“As my older sister, she was mom and dad’s ‘trial and error’ kid, so I watched and learned from her experiences growing up and knew what I could and could not get away with,” LB’s sister, Jennifer, said. “As adults, we have learned from each other how to navigate parenthood and have been each other’s sounding board in many situations.”
There is nothing more important to LB than family, and she has shown that time and time again throughout her life. As she has grown older, she has gained even more of an appreciation and a fondness for family, and now that she is a mother to four grown children (Jacob, Samantha, Timmy and Molly), she has learned to not take time spent with family for granted.
LB enjoys taking their dog, Franco, for walks while restoring furniture too, but there is nothing that beats when any – and especially all – of her children are around.
“The fact that she literally puts her kids first no matter what is so selfless it is unbelievable,” Scott said. “Even after going through a major depression scare, she continued to live her life for the cause of raising her children. To say she has been a great mom is an understatement. It’s like comparing Fran Tarkenton to Joe Webb.”
Raising kids is not always easy, and LB will be the first to tell you that. Scott calls her a trooper for the way she handled their second child, Samantha, getting stuck, and their third child, Timmy, having to be in the NICU for five days.
There is no question that LB has been faced with challenges in life, but she has always handled them like a champ. She does not let anything bring her down, and she is always looking at the glass half full.
“I admire her strength to overcome adversities in her life,” Diana said. “Like many teenagers and young adults, she went through good times and bad times, but she always tried to do the right thing. She finished her last year of college after marriage and two babies, but she finished. She is a determined lady! LB is a highly intelligent woman, never afraid of challenges, and not afraid to learn new things.”
LB is never one to settle for second best, as she is always going to achieve everything she sets her mind to. She can be seen as a role model to many, as she is just such a persistent, determined woman.
She makes it a point to also make every relationship and friendship she has last and be meaningful, and people such as her sister are just glad they get to be part of her life.
“LB is not just my sister, but my friend,” Jennifer said. “Within a family’s dynamics, that may not always be the case. But I am grateful that we have this unique bond.”
Anyone who wants to know what it takes to be a good family woman should look no further than Lori Beth Angel’s story. She is the most family-oriented person that the people who know her have ever met, and for Scott in particular there have been so many momentous occasions spent with his wife.
“One of my favorites is our trip to Aruba for a vacation,” he said. “We had to walk to a restaurant because the streets were flooded, but were picked up in the back of a car by an employee, who drove us to the entrance of the restaurant and then we had to move tables because I was getting leaked on at our table.”
While memories like these are special, they are made a thousand times more memorable because of who Scott got to be with during these stories that he told. He loves getting to spend his life with his love, and he is glad that he can get through anything as long as LB is by his side.
“For some reason, even though we had our disagreements when dating, somehow GOD wouldn’t let us break apart,” Scott said. “I think relationships and people are put together because of GOD and this is definitely one of those that HE had a hand in. Even when completing our family, we had suffered a couple of miscarriages but didn’t let that keep us from continuing our family.”
It was only by LB’s strength that they have gotten through any and everything together, and there is not a day that goes by where Scott is not completely grateful for his wife.
“The love I have for her is never conveyed the right way because I am flawed in many ways. I didn’t think anyone could have ever been such a loving, forgiving, caring and special person and still want to be with me. Anyone that gets to meet her is treated the same and she will treat you like her new best friend.” – Scott
