Lorraine Waggoner Gorham, 97, died peacefully on Aug. 26, 2014, while residing at Shady Knoll in Seymour, CT. She was under the care of CT Hospice.

She moved from the Brunswick, ME area in 2006 to be near to her middle son, Jonathan W. Gorham of Woodbridge, CT. She was the wife of Robert S. Gorham of Boston, MA and Augusta, ME.

She is survived by three sons, Robert S. Gorham Jr. of Champaign, IL, Jonathan, and William T. Gorham of Camarillo, CA. She also helped raise two nephews, James Powers, Jackson, MI and Edward Powers, Atlanta, GA. She maintained there was a place in heaven for the mother of five boys.

Lorraine, or “Bobby” as she was called, was born in Peoria, IL on Aug. 16, 1917, to Herva Issom and Teresa Waggoner. Throughout her life she was interested in theater. She was active in the Community Children’s Theater in Peoria, IL. As a public school, kindergarten teacher in Germantown, IL, she inspired her students to dress up and put on plays. With neighbors in that community she produced variety shows, Halloween ghost walks and series of fundraisers that helped build a gymnasium for the school. She was also very interested in gardening, having served as president of the Bath, ME, Garden Club.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Nov. 1, 2014, at the First Church of Christ in Woodbridge, CT. Prior to that her ashes will be placed alongside those of her beloved husband at Peoria’s First Federated Church on Oct. 17, 2014, at 11 a.m. in a combined service.

Charitable contributions may be made to: The Massaro Community Farm (attn: Caty Poole, caty@massarofarm.org, 41 Ford Road, Woodbridge, CT 06525) or to Community Children’s Theater (attn: Linda Huff, lhuff@peoriaparks.org, 1125 W. Lake Ave., Peoria, IL 61614).