Obituary of Lorraine Elizabeth Lamb

Lorraine came in on a breeze, born July 20th, 1934. Affectionately known as “Lolly” by her 10 siblings and her parents Tom and Marie Disch, she grew up in University Place in Tacoma. Lolly was short, sweet and full of energy. She learned early on to work hard, play hard and love well. She loved being feminine but she was also the only girl in the neighborhood with a paper route. The story goes that the other paper carriers, all boys, would cut open her stack of papers throwing them in all directions before she had a chance to deliver them. She might have shed a tear but more than likely she’d quickly and carefully gather up the papers while giving those boys a piece of her mind and a stern warning. She was never one to suffer fools. Those boys learned quickly not to mess with Lorraine!Lorraine said she had a wonderful upbringing but her life didn’t really begin until she met the love of her life, Dave Lamb, at age seventeen. Lorraine says it was an instant bolt of lightening that struck each of them upon meeting. Dave’s chivalry and tender care hooked her and “Lolly” became “LoriL”. They graduated from Lincoln High School in Tacoma in 1952 and were married on April 11th, 1953. After a brief start in Tacoma, Lorraine and Dave created a life together in Olympia. They lived in various places from 1953 to 1965 which included residences in Olympia, Seattle (3 homes!), Richland and Corvallis, Oregon. They moved back to Olympia in 1965 where they made their home for the remainder of her life. Dave and Lorraine raised five children – Dodie, Jerry, Sharon, Ilene and Amy. Lorraine focused her energies on raising a family and supporting her husband in his real estate organization. She had a great business sense. She was a great financial manager and confidante to Dave. Never apart, Dave and Lorraine did everything together whether it was working, playing, travelling, shopping, cooking or hot tubbing. Lorraine was always organized. She had to be with such a busy life. Kids were taught to work hard but time was always set aside for play. Chores needed to be completed before play. The kids quickly completed tasks at hand full well knowing what fun adventures lay ahead. Dave and Lorraine often boated or camped with all five of their children. Every outing provided a learning experience. Lorraine’s constant loving attention and strong will helped shape each of her children into leaders as they matured. Dave retired when both were 47 and the two were off travelling the world. They made it to all 50 states and Canada, to Europe, Australia, Mexico, the Panama Canal and many other parts of the world. Lorraine loved the sunshine. Many winters were spent in Florida or Arizona. Spring and summer found them back in Olympia. Lorraine woke up every day with a zest for life and a zeal for accomplishment. She loved flowers and festive lights. Yellow was her favorite color because of its vibrancy. She enjoyed cooking every day. She derived great joy from making special meals or desserts for others. Holidays were always opportunities for preparing tremendous feasts. Holidays also meant decorations and celebrations. Christmas and Easter were special every year. Lori never forgot anyone’s birthday. She was always on time with a card, a present and a cake. She was always interested in what was happening in other people’s lives. Playing games offered a great avenue for finding out the latest with friends and family. Music was also a common denominator between Lorraine and her family. She played piano and clarinet as a child and she inspired each of her children to pursue musical pursuits. She and her family shared a love of all kinds of music. She loved God and she knew Jesus to be her savior. She loved her fellow man and she was quick to give to others that were less fortunate. She supported numerous charities – Boys Town, the Girl Scouts, firefighters, veterans, the Salvation Army and many more. Four years ago Lorraine was told she had not much more than a year to live. She was diagnosed with a form of pulmonary fibrosis that was gradually destroying her lungs. Her husband said she was a “tough old bird”. The only complaints of note were the limitations the disease put on her body. She hated not being able to serve others. She was wonderful to the end. Her great attitude and strong will enabled her to live much longer than the experts predicted. She was easy to please. She said she received much more in life than she ever expected to. As one family member said, “She was a low maintenance woman”. She was a great example to all who knew her. On July 3rd, 2010, she died peacefully in her sleep in the care of her loved ones in the family home. She is survived by her husband, five children, her children’s spouses, eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Donations may be sent to the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis. Pulmonary Fibrosis is a progressive and ultimately fatal lung disease that claims the lives of 40,000 Americans each year -- the same number as breast cancer -- and kills an estimated two-thirds of patients within five years of diagnosis. There is no known cause, no FDA approved treatment and no cure for Pulmonary Fibrosis. For more information, visit www.coalitionforpf.org. Our family wishes to thank everyone for all the love and support during this this difficult time in our lives. You may leave your memories and best wishes for Lorraine and her family by clicking on "View Guestbook" below.