Lorraine Spracklin

Lorraine was born to Minnie and Russell Holt in 1923 on the Ides of March in Saint John, NB, and enjoyed a happy childhood with siblings Donna, Ken, and Carol, and close friends. In 1945, she graduated from Acadia University with a Bachelor of Arts. At Acadia she forged lifelong friendships and met the love of her life, Ed Spracklin. The romance of Lorraine and Ed’s early years is family legend, shared with us through stories of sunset walks in apple orchards, dance cards filled by only one name, and Lorraine “floating on air” down King St. after their engagement. In 2020, they celebrated their 70th anniversary.

After Acadia, Lorraine worked at Stadacona in Halifax, rooming with her sister Donna while Ed completed Dental School at Dalhousie. In 1950 Lorraine and Ed married and settled in Campbellton, NB, where their first two children, Linda and Donna, were born. Four years later, Lorraine and Ed moved for Ed’s orthodontic training to Toronto, where they shared a small house with friends Rita and Ron Riley and their twin baby daughters -- an unforgettable and busy time filled with love and laughter.

In 1956, Lorraine and Ed settled permanently in Halifax. Lorraine welcomed her third child, Kathryn, in 1965, and in the 30-plus years that followed on Royal Pine Avenue she held four granddaughters and four grandsons, shared tea and sympathy with friends and neighbours, offered room to family and friends to stay as long as they needed, and hosted holiday dinners, summer barbeques, and New Year’s Eve parties.

Lorraine’s focus was family and community. She was deeply committed to the faith and work of St. Andrew’s United Church. As a lifelong member of the United Church Women (UCW), she was active in community organizations such as the Brunswick St. Mission. She participated in the early days of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, and was a regular at Neptune Theatre. She enjoyed family trips home to Saint John and around the Maritimes, often with her sister Donna Myers or cousin Edna Sanford and their families, whose company she treasured. Acadia alumni events were an annual highlight. Well into her 80s she attended fitness classes with friends, never missing the post work-out coffee with friends, which was, she said, the best part.

After Ed’s retirement in 1990, Lorraine and Ed travelled around North America with a trailer visiting museums, national parks and historic sites, as well old friends and family members along the way. Phone calls and videos of the grandchildren sent by mail sustained her through her only Christmas away from home.

In 2002 Lorraine and Ed sold their house and moved to Spring Garden Road. Their apartment became a hub for regular visits with grandchildren, now young adults. Lorraine thrived amid the rich discussion of ideas around the dining table, and drew strength from the love and attention of the younger generation. In 2019, Lorraine and Ed moved to Shannex Parkland Clayton Park, where Lorraine continued to connect with friends and family by phone, and receive her many visitors from the comfort of her pink chair.

Lorraine’s curiosity and quick mind always made her seem younger than her years. She said she couldn’t believe it when she found her energies diminishing after 95. But she never lost her smile and her connection to her loved ones.

Lorraine’s gift to us all was her willingness to listen, her abiding and genuine interest in our lives, her desire to know each of us better. Lorraine never said no to an opportunity to be in company, and was never happier than when nurturing the relationships that were the focus of her life. We will miss her.

Lorraine will be remembered by her husband, Thomas Edward Spracklin; daughters Linda (Andy Nette), Donna (Paul Heyman), and Kathryn; grandchildren Hannah (Greg Van Popering), Farrell (Grayson Lloyd), Alison (Richard Weihers) and Hillary (Brian Riley) Nette; James David (Kenzie Finlayson) and Jeffrey (Katelyn Hillier) Heyman; and Ian (Gillian Sadler) Oban MacTavish; great grandchildren Cleo and Jesse Van Popering; Rowan, Evangeline, and Carys Lloyd; Hazel and Freya Weihers; and Ogden and Greta Riley; siblings Ken Holt and Carol (Jack) Barton, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Gone before her are family members including her sister Donna (Don) Myers, cousin Edna (Graham) Sanford, son-in-law Paul Heyman, sister-in-law Kay Holt, cousin Barbara Hobbs, and many friends.

The family extends a special thank you to the compassionate caregivers at Parkland.

A funeral will be held at St. Andrew’s United Church on November 12 at 3 pm., with COVID-19 restrictions in place. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Brunswick St. Mission.