Lorraine Barbara Bell Giardino, 89, born February 1932 in Queens, NY and raised in Manhasset, NY, passed peacefully surrounded by family 8 December 2021 in Charlotte, NC. In addition to her two children, Michael and Leslie, Lorraine is survived by her sister Claudia and six grandchildren: Margaux, James, Alexandra, Daniel, Margaret and David, as well as four step-grands: Leslie, Claire, Julia, Cameron and a step great-grandson Hartford. She was predeceased by her husband M. David Giardino in 2013 and her sister Eunice Johns in 2000.
Lorraine was the consummate mother. She had no greater joy in life than her family including her children, grandchildren, son-in-law Jim Mackinson, daughters-in-law Sandra and Laura Giardino, her sister and brother-in-law Claudia and Bob Gedmin and a host of nieces and nephews too plentiful to count.
Following her graduation from Centenary College, Lorraine married her beau Dave, and joined him for his senior year at Princeton University. Upon Dave’s graduation in 1953, Dave joined the Navy, which led the couple to a military life where Dave served in Newport in RI, Brooklyn in NY, and finally Stockton in CA. They returned to the east coast with their young son Michael, settling in the Summit, NJ area in 1957. Daughter Leslie arrived and the couple made Summit the place where they raised their family.
During the Summit years, the Giardinos were active both socially and politically. They were founding members of PADA – Parents Against Drug Abuse – active members of the Summit Presbyterian Church, as well as the local chapter of the NJ Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Dave and Lorraine also campaigned for local, state, and federal candidates for office, and led an active social life with a close circle of dear friends. Lorraine also joined and eventually became a crew chief on the Summit First Aid Squad.
Foremost, Lorraine supported her family, attending most every sporting and school event that she could and traveled the world with Dave as he pursued his business interest. 1984 found both Michael and Leslie married and living in Princeton, NJ, so they decided to return to their initial stomping grounds and join the kids. They soon became active members of the community. Lorraine became a deacon at Nassau Presbyterian Church and continued to travel in support of Dave, but her real love remained the family group back home in Princeton – especially as grand children began to arrive starting in the early 1980’s.
Following the death of her husband in 2013, Lorraine made the difficult choice to leave Princeton for Charlotte, NC to be near Leslie, Jim and Dan . Here she lived independently along with her companion dogs, enjoying her garden with its many feathered visitors. As with so many, Covid impacted Lorraine’s ability to share as much time with loved ones as she would have wished for the last year and a half. This wonderful daughter of God will be missed by many and welcomed home by many more.
A Celebration of Life in Lorraine’s honor will be planned for early 2022. Lorraine will be interred in a private ceremony, joining her husband Dave, at Princeton Cemetery, Princeton NJ.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dementia Society: www.dementiasociety.org or to Autism Research: www.autism.org.