Lorraine Ann Purcell

Lorraine Ann Purcell (nee Verstraete) of West Caldwell has passed away on Thursday, July 30, 2020; just two weeks shy of her 91st birthday. Lorraine was born in Newark in 1929, and raised in Nutley. Daughter of Anna Verstraete (nee Cole) and Alfonse Alfred Verstraete. She would later live in Bloomfield and raise her family in Glen Ridge.
Lorraine was predeceased by her husband Robert Purcell, her true love and fun-filled sidekick, and by her daughter, Judith. She is survived by her children, Brian and Patricia Purcell-Hambacher and special son-in-law, Sean Hambacher. Also, survived by two grandchildren and dear friends, Marilyn Drennan and Ray Fisher, as well as many extended family and friends.
Lorraine lived for her husband and children. She was an abundant source of quiet and kind strength, demonstrating her faith in God daily.
After graduating Nutley High School, she went on to attend the Traphagen Art School in New York City, which prepared her to work as a draftsperson at an engineering firm for several years. Once married, Lorraine became a homemaker and assisted with administrative tasks related to the family business, LP Electric.
She was a great cook, always with an invitation for friends to join for dinner at the tip of her tongue. Her interests included sewing, reading, volunteering at schools and girl scouts, playing cards and Scrabble, dining out, travelling the United States by car, and in her later years, going on Elderhostels to satisfy her need for life-long learning.
Due to COVID-19, the family has decided to keep services private.
In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are greatly appreciated.            Arrangements by O’Boyle Funeral Home, Bloomfield. Express condolences at www.oboylefuneralhome.com