Lorene Craig Shepard, 86, Winooski
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Title
Lorene Craig Shepard, 86, Winooski
Description
On Monday, December 14, 2020 Lorene Shepard of Winooski, Vermont, loving wife and proud mother of three children, grandmother of four grandchildren, passed away at the age of 86 due to the COVID-19 Virus. Lorene was born in Quincy, Illinois on June 29, 1934 to Loren and Coletta (Meyer) Craig, and raised in Galesburg, Illinois by her loving paternal grandparents, Charles and Blenda (Offrell) Craig.
Lorene’s love of her life was her husband, Loren Shepard. They met by chance in 1954 when Lorene left her home state of Illinois, bound for New Hampshire as a summer waitress at the Hanover Inn. She arrived with a diamond on her finger, engaged to her high school sweetheart. Little did she know she would instead fall head over heels in love with another man, Loren, who was a chef at the Inn. After a two-month budding romance, Lorene wrote her fiancé a ‘Dear John’ letter (actually his name was Dick) and enclosed the diamond ring. Lorene and Loren were married in Galesburg a year later, August 6, 1955. They just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this year.
She attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois from 1952-1954 and was a member of Sigma Alpha Iota music sorority. Years later her granddaughter, Kristin LeMunyon, became her sorority ‘sister’ when she also pledged Sigma Alpha Iota at Susquehanna University. Eventually Lorene went back to school and earned a B.S. degree in 1982 from Trinity College, Burlington, Vermont. In 1983 Lorene and Loren moved to Delaware, and eventually Pennsylvania and New Jersey for employment. Over the years Lorene was employed by Saga Food Service and General Electric in Burlington, Vermont; Jobs for Delaware Graduates in Dover, Delaware; Lutheran Social Services as marketing director in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania; Lutheran Social Services as a marketing representative in West Caldwell, New Jersey; and St. Joseph Hospital as director of Senior Services in Wayne, New Jersey. After returning to Vermont in 1999, she worked at Christian Ministries Inc Radio Network in Essex, and was last employed as receptionist at Our Lady of Providence Residential Care in Winooski. She finally retired in 2012. In May 2019 Lorene felt right at home when she and Loren became residents of Our Lady of Providence.
Her love of God was instilled by her grandparents who raised her, and by her church family at Trinity Lutheran in Galesburg, Illinois. Lorene was also a longtime member of Community Lutheran Church in South Burlington. Church and Christian fellowship were very dear to her. She was active in choir, Women’s Guild, Bible studies, altar and flower committees. She loved her Lord and Savior more than mere words could convey. She had a beautiful voice and used it always to sing His praise.
She is survived by her husband Loren Shepard and her children Craig (Jeri) Shepard of Natick, Massachusetts, Robin (Jim) LeMunyon of Oak Hill, Virginia, and Dan (Deb) Shepard of Essex Junction, Vermont. She was the proud grandmother to her four grandchildren, Mark LeMunyon, Heather (Joe) Bateman, Kristin LeMunyon and Junelle Shepard.
The family wishes to thank the staff of the UVM Medical Center COVID Ward for the compassionate and professional care Lorene received during the last few days of her life. We also extend our appreciation to the staff of Our Lady of Providence for the love and care Lorene received as a resident.
Due to the pandemic, Lorene’s service and burial will be postponed until late Spring 2021 when family and friends can safely gather to properly celebrate Lorene’s life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Vermont Lung Center: www.med.uvm.edu/vermontlung/support
Lorene’s love of her life was her husband, Loren Shepard. They met by chance in 1954 when Lorene left her home state of Illinois, bound for New Hampshire as a summer waitress at the Hanover Inn. She arrived with a diamond on her finger, engaged to her high school sweetheart. Little did she know she would instead fall head over heels in love with another man, Loren, who was a chef at the Inn. After a two-month budding romance, Lorene wrote her fiancé a ‘Dear John’ letter (actually his name was Dick) and enclosed the diamond ring. Lorene and Loren were married in Galesburg a year later, August 6, 1955. They just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this year.
She attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois from 1952-1954 and was a member of Sigma Alpha Iota music sorority. Years later her granddaughter, Kristin LeMunyon, became her sorority ‘sister’ when she also pledged Sigma Alpha Iota at Susquehanna University. Eventually Lorene went back to school and earned a B.S. degree in 1982 from Trinity College, Burlington, Vermont. In 1983 Lorene and Loren moved to Delaware, and eventually Pennsylvania and New Jersey for employment. Over the years Lorene was employed by Saga Food Service and General Electric in Burlington, Vermont; Jobs for Delaware Graduates in Dover, Delaware; Lutheran Social Services as marketing director in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania; Lutheran Social Services as a marketing representative in West Caldwell, New Jersey; and St. Joseph Hospital as director of Senior Services in Wayne, New Jersey. After returning to Vermont in 1999, she worked at Christian Ministries Inc Radio Network in Essex, and was last employed as receptionist at Our Lady of Providence Residential Care in Winooski. She finally retired in 2012. In May 2019 Lorene felt right at home when she and Loren became residents of Our Lady of Providence.
Her love of God was instilled by her grandparents who raised her, and by her church family at Trinity Lutheran in Galesburg, Illinois. Lorene was also a longtime member of Community Lutheran Church in South Burlington. Church and Christian fellowship were very dear to her. She was active in choir, Women’s Guild, Bible studies, altar and flower committees. She loved her Lord and Savior more than mere words could convey. She had a beautiful voice and used it always to sing His praise.
She is survived by her husband Loren Shepard and her children Craig (Jeri) Shepard of Natick, Massachusetts, Robin (Jim) LeMunyon of Oak Hill, Virginia, and Dan (Deb) Shepard of Essex Junction, Vermont. She was the proud grandmother to her four grandchildren, Mark LeMunyon, Heather (Joe) Bateman, Kristin LeMunyon and Junelle Shepard.
The family wishes to thank the staff of the UVM Medical Center COVID Ward for the compassionate and professional care Lorene received during the last few days of her life. We also extend our appreciation to the staff of Our Lady of Providence for the love and care Lorene received as a resident.
Due to the pandemic, Lorene’s service and burial will be postponed until late Spring 2021 when family and friends can safely gather to properly celebrate Lorene’s life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Vermont Lung Center: www.med.uvm.edu/vermontlung/support
Source
Publisher
vtdigger
Date
December 14, 2020
Spatial Coverage
Text
https://www.corbinandpalmer.com/obituary/Lorene-Shepard
Collection
Citation
, “Lorene Craig Shepard, 86, Winooski,” COVID-19 Archive, accessed April 19, 2024, https://covid-19.digitalvermont.org/items/show/553.