Lorraine Jean Niven

Lorraine Niven Much loved mother of Cynthia and Patricia Niven, and grandmother of Caitlin Caulfield passed away on February 18, 2015 in San Francisco, CA. Lorraine, an only child, was born in Dalzell, Illinois on December 20, 1932 to Christine and Louis Micheli. She left Illinois in her mid 20's and moved to the San Francisco Bay area where her aunt and uncle lived. She lived in Berkeley and worked for the telephone company in Oakland. She met Jim Niven, who was in the US Navy stationed in Alameda, on a Saturday night at the Ali Baba Ballroom in Oakland. She married Jim in July 1959, at St. Patrick church in Larkspur, CA. She became a housewife and mother of two girls while Jim worked at the family's cut flower nursery in Larkspur that was well known for growing high quality roses and orchids for the florist trade. Following Jim's unexpected death in 1978, she rose to the challenge of managing the nursery, and with her daughter Cyndi, kept the 4th generation family business profitable for 25 years. Her greatest source of pleasure was being a mother, and grandmother. She also enjoyed traveling and shopping with friends, and volunteering at St. Patrick parish in Larkspur and Nazareth House in San Rafael. She particularly loved spending time in her garden at the house her husband built for her in Larkspur and being entertained by the hummingbirds that came to dine on her flowers. We will miss her forever but she'll always live in our hearts. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, February 27th at 1:00pm at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Larkspur; burial to follow on Saturday, at Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery in San Rafael. Arrangements entrusted to Keaton's Mortuary.