Lorraine (Anderson) Wakefield

Lorraine Anderson Wakefield was born September 3, 1923, in Grafton, West Virginia. During her youth, Lorraine resided in several areas of West Virginia, including Grafton, Boomer, and Charleston. Over the years, she spoke of warm, childhood memories of playing with her thirteen cousins while visiting at the home of her mother's sister, Lorraine (Aunt Rene), for whom she was named. Lorraine graduated from Garnett High School in Charleston and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from West Virginia State College in Institute. She also studied dance and modeling, and immediately after finishing undergraduate school, Lorraine traveled to New York City to pursue a career. During her brief residency, she worked as a Bank Teller in Manhattan, but soon returned home to West Virginia, where she was united in holy matrimony with Stanley Wakefield, a young man she had met while attending college. Not long after their marriage, her husband, a United States Army serviceman, was assigned to a post in Japan to serve on the Pacific Front during World War II. Shortly after the birth of their second child, Lorraine and her family relocated to Columbus, Ohio. In her mid-thirties, Lorraine enrolled at The Ohio State University, where she took classes to become Secondary Education certified, while also working nights as a Blood Technician at the University Hospital. Lorraine became a Secondary School Teacher and continued this career path for the next 35 years until her retirement. She remained an active member of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, where she participated with The Dolliettes. She was also a longtime member of The Victory Matrons, the organizers of the local Starlite Cotillion. On Saturday, January 4, 2014, at the age of 90, Lorraine Anderson Wakefield departed this earthly life while at her Columbus residence. She was preceded in death by her husband, Stanley Wakefield-Baharuddin, parents William Anderson and Mattie Anderson-Johnson, brother Bill Anderson, and niece Karen Pinkston. Those who remain to cherish memories of Lorraine, include her three daughters, Sandra L. Wakefield, Mattie-Margo Wakefield, and Jean L. Wakefield; son Stanley P. (Traci) Wakefield; grandson Beau Issa McNaboe; granddaughters Zuri and Aziza Wakefield; son-in-law Joseph McNaboe; nieces Patti Anderson and Elsie Anderson-Nesbitt; great niece Leslie Gill; great-great niece Marley Gill; and a host of cousins, other relatives and friends.