Lorraine Marie May

Lorraine Marie May

Dec. 21, 1952 — Aug. 31, 2014

Lorraine Marie May of Bremerton passed away on Aug. 31, 2014, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Lorraine was born in Trona, California on Dec. 21, 1952 and graduated from North Salem High School in Salem, Oregon in 1971.

In 1971, she married her first husband, Todd Brown, and in 1973 she had her daughter, Marcella Marie.

In 1976, she married Joseph May, who later became Marcie’s adopted father, and they were married for 16 years.

In 1994, she met her current partner, Mark Gillespie. They moved to the Bremerton area in 1998, where they lived happily until her passing.

For more than 25 years, Lorraine had a very successful career in the newspaper industry as a sales associate, sales trainer, and associate publisher. She excelled in each of these positions and was considered a valuable employee and friend to all who worked with her.

Lorraine loved to travel, work in her garden, and was very creative. She was very giving of her time and was a United Way volunteer for many years. She served on various community boards and participated in the planning of local activities and events. She proudly donated blood on a regular basis because she felt good about giving life to others. When receiving a transfusion during her illness, she would often laugh and say, “I paid it forward and now I’m getting it back.”

Above all, Lorraine loved to spend time with friends and family. To her, that’s what life was all about — being with the ones you love, caring about them and helping them along life’s path. She was genuine and liked people in a way that made people love her back. People often commented on how warm and friendly she was to them.

She was especially proud of her grandsons, Drake and Konner, and she maintained a very close relationship with them even though they lived miles apart.

She is survived by her partner of 20 years, Mark Gillespie of Bremerton; daughter, Marcie Maret; son-in-law, Rodney Maret; mother, Mary Blanche; brother, Richard Blanche; sister, Susan Blanche-Kappler; sister, Rose Parks; brother, Robert Blanche; grandson, Drake Maret; grandson, Konner Maret; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial service was on Saturday, Sept. 6, at Englewood Methodist Church, 1110 17th St, Salem, Oregon.

A celebration of Lorraine’s life will take place from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Robert Earle Lighthouse Restaurant, 429 Bay St., Port Orchard, WA 98366.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to your local United Way office.

— Family of Lorraine Marie May