June 6, 1936 — March 26, 2023
Lorraine F. (Whitty) Drew of Reading passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Sunday, March 26, 2023. She is 86 years of age.
Born on Saturday, June 6, 1936, in Melrose, Lorraine is the loving daughter of the late James Whitty and Laura (Grant) Whitty. Lorraine is a gentle, warm & kind daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend who will be deeply missed.
Lorraine attended St. Mary’s School in Melrose where she graduated in 1954. She then married her beloved husband, the late Jon F. Drew in 1957. After their wedding, they moved to Reading where they built a home on Condor Road, raised her family, and lived happily for the remainder of her life. Lorraine and Jon were beyond blessed and fortunate to start a family by adopting three beautiful children who changed their lives forever. Lorraine enjoyed working at AT&T in Boston, and at Charles Burke in Stoneham where she retired in her later years.
Lorraine was full of life with a beautiful smile that lit up every room. She loved collecting dolls and Hummel figurines, tending to her rose garden, reading, watching Jeopardy, creating family photo albums, going to lunch, and eating butter-pecan ice cream. She made the best brownies and a perfectly cooked roast with gravy. More than anything, she loved spending time with as much family as possible as often as she could, making sure family traditions were passed through generations to come. She was always strong-willed and sharp-witted.
She loved warm weather, and spent her summers on Prince Edward Island, where her parents were from. Her favorite parts about the island included searching for sea glass along the shore, picking blueberries and strawberries, porch-rocking, enjoying an ocean-breeze, listening to fiddle music, lobster suppers, and most importantly sharing memories and spending time with all of her loved ones including siblings, children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Lorraine is the beloved wife of the late Jon F. Drew. She is the devoted mother of Jon F. Drew II & his wife Joanne, James M. Drew & Lauren F. Johnston & her husband Ray. The cherished grandmother of Jon F. Drew III, Dylan A. Drew, Morgan B. Johnston & Madison L. Johnston, Lorraine is the dear sister of the late Annie Johnson, Joan Powers, Mary McLean & James Whitty. She is also survived by many loving nieces & nephews.
A Funeral Mass Celebrating Lorraine’s Eternal Life will be held on Friday, March 31st at 10:30am in St. Athanasius Church, 300 Haverhill St. Reading. Family & friends are cordially invited to gather and share memories with Lorraine’s Family on Friday from 8:30 – 10am in the Doherty – Barile Family Funeral Home, 11 Linden St. READING. Parking attendants and elevator are available. Interment Forest Glen Cemetery, Reading.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations in Lorraine’s memory to Beth Israel Lahey Health at Home, 199 Rosewood Dr. Ste. 380 Danvers, MA 01923 or by referring to https://secure3.convio.net/bidmc/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app30101b?idb=1370448425&df_id=6184&mfc_pref=T&6184.donation=form1&NONCE_TOKEN=2220BCECFD4AA1A50FBEBCE93488912D
For more information, www.facebook.com/BarileFamilyFuneralHome
