Obituary: Lorraine E. Gilman
March 24, 1937 – February 13, 2024
February 20, 2024
Lorraine E. Gilman, March 24, 1937 – February 13, 2024. Courtesy photo
Lorraine E. Gilman, 86, a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away in the comfort of her family at the Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin on Tuesday afternoon, February 13, 2024. Born in Morrisville on March 24, 1937, she was the daughter of the late Charles Gage and Della (Chase) Clifton. On May 4, 1957, she married Roger M. Gilman in Waterbury. Roger predeceased Lorraine on July 10, 2006.
Lorraine grew up on a farm on Loomis Hill in Waterbury Center. She was a 1954 graduate of Waterbury High School. As a young woman, she worked at the National Life Company. In 1969 she went to work for the State of Vermont in Waterbury, first at the Vermont State Hospital and later with the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living, until her retirement in 1999. In 2007 she moved from her home in Waterbury to Berlin, and in 2020 she moved to Westview Meadows in Montpelier, where she thrived living among the caring and supportive community of residents and staff.
Lorraine was a member of the Waterbury Congregational Church and a volunteer for the Red Cross blood draws. She enjoyed a good game of cribbage, watching Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, and in her younger years she was in a bowling league with other East Street moms. Lorraine was a lifelong Vermonter but enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, whether visiting the Gilman family in Maine, attending Gage family reunions, or simply vacationing somewhere new. She was an exceptionally kind person and no matter what challenges came her way, she never complained, always putting the needs of others before herself.
Lorraine is survived by her son, Kevin Gilman and his wife, Donna, of Berlin; two grandsons, Justin E. Gilman and his wife, Helen Bower, of Everett, Massachusetts, and Anthony J. Sabanski of Miamisburg, Ohio; a dear friend Cathy Flanders of Waterbury; as well as nieces and nephews and extended family. Lorraine was predeceased by her son Mark Gilman and her stepfather Junior Clifton.
The Gilman family is extremely grateful for the dedicated and caring staff of Westview Meadows as they became extended family to Lorraine over the past three years. We also want to thank the staff of the Central Vermont Medical Center and Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice for the compassionate comfort care provided to Lorraine at the end of her life.
A private graveside service will be held in Maple Street Cemetery in Waterbury Center at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts would be appreciated to Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre VT 05641, or to Westview Meadows, 171 Westview Meadows Road, Montpelier, VT 05602.
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