Lorraine (Costello) Walmsley

Lorraine (Costello) Walmsley, of Rocky Hill, formerly of Wethersfield, beloved wife for 59 years of Harold Walmsley, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Thursday, May 26, 2016 at St. Francis Hospital. She was 80 years old. Lorraine was a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother who believed in family above all else. She was always quick with a smile and kind words. She was born in Fall River, MA, daughter of the late Manuel and Mary (Farias) Costello and was a graduate of Durfee High School Class of 1953. In 1956, she married the love of her life, Harold, and together they made a home for their devoted children. She lived in New York City, NY, Bryan, OH and Seattle, WA before settling in Wethersfield, where she lived for more than 40 years, and moved to Rocky Hill in 2010. In addition to Harold, Lorraine is survived by their four children: Catherine Walmsley of Florence, MA.; Thomas Walmsley of Wethersfield; Susan (Walmsley) Hertel and her husband Christopher of Wethersfield; Brian Walmsley and his wife Suzanne (Jones) of Franklin, MA; and she is predeceased by her daughter-in-law, Maryann dePreaux Walmsley of Wethersfield. She is also survived by her three grandchildren, Hayley and Declan Walmsley of Franklin, MA; and Nicole Nehmer and her husband Scott of Wethersfield. Lorraine is also survived by her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Robert and Mary June Walmsley of Center Harbor, NH; several close cousins and countless friends – all of whom will miss her kindness and loving smile very much. She and her family enjoyed spending summers at their Cape Cod house in Harwich, MA, where she and Harold would walk the beach in search of beach glass and frequent craft fairs and gift shops. Lorraine retired in 1998 after a long career with several banks, including Webster Bank, Fleet, Shawmut, Connecticut National, and Hartford National Bank -- all at the same location in the Wethersfield Shopping Center where she was a regular and friendly face for customers over the years. Lorraine’s greatest achievement was raising her family, with whom she spent and hosted countless holidays, birthdays and her traditional Thursday night pasta dinners. Harold and Lorraine’s family and friends were always welcome in their home and she especially loved having her children and her children’s friends visit. She would always urge them to come back soon and never failed to wave goodbye from her front door, always reminding her children to call her when they arrived home, whether they lived out of state or five minutes away. Throughout her life as a mother, Lorraine was her children’s biggest fan at hundreds of baseball, softball and basketball games – rooting them on from the sideline regardless of the weather. Her passion for sports carried over to becoming an avid fan of the University of Connecticut Huskies Women’s Basketball team. She had season tickets for many years – relishing in each championship and attending four Final Four Tournaments with Harold. Lorraine loved attending her many Neil Diamond concerts and Broadway Series Shows. Her other hobbies included playing bingo, dominos and cards with family and friends. She was a communicant of the Church of the Incarnation in Wethersfield where she was a member of the Women’s Club. She was also a member of the Wethersfield Senior Citizens Club.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd., Wethersfield. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 1, at 10 a.m. at the Church of the Incarnation, 544 Prospect St, Wethersfield. Everyone is asked to go directly to the Church. Burial will follow in Village Cemetery, Old Wethersfield. The Walmsley Family would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff at St Francis Hospital, especially Dr. Beth Nelson, Kim, Elaine and Sara who supported Lorraine during her long and brave fight against cancer. The family would also like to thank Father Moran and Sister Betty for their support and prayers. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lorraine’s memory to the Church of the Incarnation or the American Cancer Society, 825 Brook Street, I-91 Tech Center, Rocky Hill, CT 06067. To share a memory of Lorraine with her family, please visit www.desopo.com.