Obituary : Lorraine N. Armitage
Lorraine Norton Armitage, a resident for the past 11 years of Windemere Nursing Home and formerly of Hines Point in Vineyard Haven, died on February 24 at Martha's Vineyard Hospital.
She was 92 years of age and was born in Vineyard Haven on April 23, 1916, the daughter of Benjamin M. Norton and Anita Cottle Smith, both Island natives. Her father worked everything at Seven Gates from gardening, farming, and woodcutting, but mostly masonry and stonewalls, while her mother tended to the family and its needs.
She lived at what is now called Arrowhead Farm. She attended the one-room Indian Hill School with 10 to 12 students at the time and between sixth to eighth grades she attended the West Tisbury School, which is now the Town Hall. Lorraine was later graduated from the Tisbury High School.
Lorraine retired from Mosher Photo in 1986 after 50 years of service. She worked many-faceted positions because she never liked to do just one thing. She could do different things from being a clerk, to developing film, just as color printing was coming about, to framing and then as manager. Lorraine took correspondence courses through Eastman Kodak and other places to learn hand coloring of slides. To meet the demand of the job, she worked long nights, almost to midnight, until the work was done, to satisfy the summer people from all over the country who took a lot of pictures.
She was a long-time member of the First Baptist Church in Vineyard Haven and part of the Round Table Group. She also served on the finance committee of Vineyard Haven in 1977.
She is survived by many nieces and nephews and a close friend, Arlene Conroy, since 1960. She was predeceased by her son, Donald Armitage, and her brothers Bradford A. Norton, Stephen Norton, and Benjamin Elliot Norton.
Her graveside service for the burial of her cremated remains will be held at the Oak Grove Cemetery, located on State Road in Vineyard Haven on Saturday, March 7 at 11 am, officiated by the Rev. Roger Spinney. Donations may be made in her memory to the First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 2787, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.
Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, Oak Bluffs. Please visit ccgfuneralhome.com for online guest book and information.
