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Wall Of Honor

In memory of those who are gone but will never be forgotten. Take a moment and reflect on the many lives they have touched and imagine what would life be with them. Knowledge is power, awareness being the tool that chips away at the wall of darkness shedding light on the answers.

Lorraine Anne Howland - Simonelli
June 6, 1942 - October 18, 1998
Achievements - 4 children, 5 grandchildren, daughter, sister, friend

On October 18, 1998, a woman greatly admired by many was lost. She was a single mom who struggled through many tough times and did without many things on behalf of raising her children. She never complained of what she didn't have nor asked for more than she needed. She had many friends and was best known for her laughter, smile, generosity, sense of humor, inner strength, creativity, patience, gardening, cooking, caring for others, and most of all honesty. Lorraine or "Rainey" was a Christian woman and throughout the years, she allowed many other families to stay in her home while they were struggling through their own hard times. Somehow there was always enough food to feed more than those present. Whenever someone needed an ear to listen to or a friend to lean on, she was always there with a pot of her homemade sauce or cake.

It is believed that Lorraine came in contact with Hepatitis C after having a butterfly tattooed on her right chest in 1980. In 1994 she was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. She refused the option of Interferon due to the side effects. She believed she would be unable to work and support her family and self. October 1987 she was given 3-6 months to live. At that time she was diagnosed with Hepatocellular carcinoma. The mass was, at that time, inoperable. She knew she had to live long enough to support her children through changes in their lives and have the peace of mind that they would be ok. She needed to see one son graduate from the Police Academy January 1998 and the other get accepted into the Academy in October 1998. Throughout her last year, she received chemo-embolization and radiation therapy to try to shrink the size of the cancer and support from may friends and family members.

She was able to experience the joy of her children's weddings and the births of her grandchildren. After the birth of her granddaughter she referred to her as her "rosebud" in her garden. With each additional grandson born she added a "daffodil" to her garden. She often spoke about her garden of daisies (her children) and her daffodils and rosebud. Her grandchildren knew her to be "Mima." She always had time for her grandchildren and loved to take them on her little excursions..

Lorraine's children were her life and her love, she was proud of them and knew that they would do well in their lives; not for the amount of money that they would earn nor the milestones they would achieve in life but because she had armed them with faith, inner strength, love and humility. She had several favorite sayings, but one that sticks out the most is "He who shall always give, will always receive and never do without." Lorraine was a strong willed woman, a Christian woman, one that through her life's ups and downs always came back to the path of God. One that knew that she could always rely on her faith to help her through, and she taught all those that came in contact with her a little of this faith and strength...even if you only met her one time....she left her mark. She was after all a remarkable woman!