Lorraine Forsyth

Of Janesville, Wisconsin

Lorraine Bell Reinig Forsyth (aka Larry, aka Lor, aka Tony) passed away on October 15, 2021, at Our House Assisted Living in Janesville, WI. Born on February 4, 1924, in Chicago, IL, she had a loyal and trustworthy personality, a quick wit, and a charitable spirit that together made lasting friends easily. She was married in 1946 to Robert Angus Forsyth, who had been the best friend of her brother (Leon) in the European theater of WWII. She was introduced to her husband through an unusual circumstance, her brother had asked his friend Robert to deliver flowers to Leon's wife, who lived with his parents until he was able to return home from England. When Lorraine answered the door with her usual flourish, Robert mistook her for Leon's wife and presented the flowers. The mistake was soon discovered, but not before he had been invited inside by Lorraine's mother and father who saw he was in uniform and wanted to hear his story. The couple married before the year was out and went on to have three children (Robert, John, and Mary), the first of whom passed away from birth complications after three months.

Lorraine was a bright student who skipped second grade and graduated high school near the top of her class at seventeen. After graduating she pursued additional education and began work in the local hospital as a Nurse's Assistant, planning an eventual career in a medical discipline once she understood the opportunities and their requirements. A sensitivity to latex turned her attention away from medicine and toward other endeavors, but she found none of them challenging enough and interesting enough to compete with the idea of marriage and children in the post-war growth boom.

Lorraine enjoyed meeting with friends each morning for coffee in her home or at theirs until the demands of raising school-aged children changed their routine. However, she made a point of meeting with friends from her childhood and adulthood throughout her life regardless of distance or circumstance. She loved traveling to see new environments and historically significant places and to meet people from different ethnic backgrounds and sample their culinary preferences. She remained socially active until 91 years of age when she felt she was no longer able to drive safely, but she continued writing to remaining friends and family and reading about unknown environments and people until a few months before her passing.

Lorraine's unwavering Christian faith got her through tough times and created a deep conviction in the importance of compassionate outreach to those in need. This included her devotion to her children, their mates, her grandchildren, and care to both her parents as well as her mother-in-law. If you asked her, she would say her family was her greatest joy.

Lorraine was preceded in death by her mother (Hallie Bell) and father (Michael Christopher), her brother, twin sisters (who died at birth), husband, and first-born child. She is survived by her son John Paul (Kerrin), her daughter Mary Beth (Richard), and her four grandchildren (Maggie, Robert, Ian, Brianna), and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be from 10:00 am until the time of funeral service at 10:30 am, Thursday, October 21, 2021, at the Glueckert Funeral Home Ltd., 1520 North Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois. Interment Acacia Park Cemetery, Norridge, Illinois.

Funeral Information and condolences can be given at www.GlueckertFuneralHome.com or (847) 253-0168.