Lorraine M. (Rodrigues) Lee, age 75, beloved wife of Michael R. Lee for over 54 years, died March 17 at Lowell General Hospital with her family by her side.
Besides her husband, she is survived by three daughters: Michele Lee DeFilippo and her husband, Paul DeFilippo, of Arlington; Kristin Lee of Billerica; and Karen Lee Fisk of Maynard. She is also survived by her brother David Rodrigues of Bedford; her stepmother, Margaret Rodrigues of Denver; her two beloved grandchildren, Rachel and William Fisk of Maynard; and many nieces, nephews, friends, and former classmates.
She was predeceased by her parents, John J. and Florence M. (Medina) Rodrigues; her stepfather, William Rodrigues; and her brother John “Jack” Rodrigues.
Lorraine was born in Medford, on October 25, 1948, and grew up in Bedford, before moving to Billerica 53 years ago.
She graduated from Bedford High School in 1966. Lorraine remained close to many members of her class over the years and helped plan several of their reunions.
When her children were young, Lorraine was a Brownie and Girl Scout troop leader. During the more than 40 years since, she continued to keep up with the lives of many of the girls she led and remained friends with parents and co-leaders. She was a volunteer classroom aid for a kindergarten class at the Trahan Elementary School in Tewksbury for several years, until the covid pandemic forced her to stop.
Lorraine was an avid quilter who enjoyed working on projects with friends. She had a mission to make a baby quilt anytime there was a birth in a friend’s or relative’s family. She enjoyed working on other crafts as well and established a tradition of making a new Christmas craft with her family every Thanksgiving.
Lorraine always emphasized the importance of staying connected with the people you love. She will be fondly remembered for the handwritten notes she sent to family, friends, and former classmates just to let them know that she was thinking of them. She was warm and approachable, with complete strangers often striking up a conversation with her.
She especially loved spending time in Vermont with her family and looked forward to the return of the hummingbirds each spring.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to her favorite charitable organizations: Donors Choose, www.donorschoose.org; the Billerica Cat Care Coalition, www.billericacatcarecoalition.org; the Perkins School for the Blind, www.perkins.org; and the Vermont Foodbank, www.vtfoodbank.org.
Plans for a celebration of Lorraine’s life will be announced at a later date.
