Irvine

Lorraine was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a B. A. and pursued her Teaching Degree at Simon Fraser University. In Vancouver, she met her life partner, David Stefanovic, while volunteering for the NDP. Their son, Dane, was born in 1985. Lorraine developed a good relationship with David’s children from his first marriage and their spouses – Milan & Sandra and Milena & Jessie. She was equally delighted to welcome her grandchildren Miki, Mila, James, and William into the fold.

Lorraine was predeceased by her parents, Anne (née Gray) in 1992 and Thomas Dalrymple Irvine in 2004, and her life partner, David Stefanovic in 2012. She is survived by her son, Dane, her brother, Ian Irvine, sister, Margaret Gibson, and her dear Callie (cat).

Growing up among Scottish immigrants, it was natural for her to shine as a Scottish Country Dancer. She also had an exceptional singing voice. In high school, she sang with the Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute choir, and later in life, was a lead singer for the Westcoast Harmony Chorus.

Her life vocation was to be a talented and caring teacher. She changed many lives for the better during her years teaching at Kwantlen College, latterly known as Kwantlen Polytechnic University, in the Academic and Career Program, working to give students the English and study skills as well as the support they needed to go on to complete further programs. She was the Coordinator for ACP before she retired. She truly appreciated how much she learned from her students, and she was very much appreciated by both her students and fellow teachers.

Lorraine was an intrepid traveler. From a young age, she was determined to see the world to better understand its people. As an ingenue of 19, she saved up for passage on a freighter to the British Isles, where she travelled across England and Scotland -on a Lambretta scooter called Pounce (for gear related reasons) – visiting family with her equally naive friend, Heather. A few years later, while exploring Europe with Sheila, she encountered a coup on a beach in Greece and was told to leave quickly but quite unnecessary in her opinion. (She was later proved right.)

Then, there was her motorcycle ride up Africa from Cape Town to Nairobi, Kenya. For Lorraine, after months of living in Cape Town, leaving the oppressive apartheid regime of South Africa was like leaving perpetual darkness for the light of dawn. Many years later, she witnessed another sad apartheid system while visiting Palestine. However, other excursions included delights such as exploring Andalusian Spain, spending hours at the prehistoric village Skara Brae on Orkney, trekking along the coast of Australia to visit her friend Eileen and seeing the world from the top of Machu Picchu in Peru.

Travel with family was also important to her. David, Lorraine and 13-year-old Dane spent 3 weeks driving north to Tuktoyaktuk to see the Arctic Ocean and incidentally met a family of wolves that rather intrigued them. There were also visits to Serbia, a Russian river boat cruise from Moscow to St. Peterburg and family “winter breaks” in Cuba.

For sheer enjoyment, in her later years she spent a portion of our Canadian winters basking in the sun in Mexico and Kauai with friends. In summer, she frequently spent time at her friend Val’s cottage at Fox Lake, Ontario or the Macdonald’s Manitoba retreat, Victoria Beach.

In reality, the whole world served as Lorraine’s cottage and all its people as her distant family. She has visited every continent but Asia; something to aim for in her next life.

Lorraine made the most of her life; she lived it well and fully.

All who had the privilege to know her will miss her beautiful smile, gentle chuckle, and warm heart.

In Lorraine’s memory, consider a donation of time or money to a humanitarian cause committed to making our world a better place.

Lorraine’s interment will take place on Thursday, April 09 at 11:00 am at Heritage Gardens, 19082 16 Ave, Surrey, B.C.