Lorraine McAuliffe

January 24, 1926 - April 11, 2009

Lorraine McAuliffe Obituary Lorraine entered into rest on April 11, 2009 after an 11 year battle fighting the debilitating consequences of a stroke. She was 83 years old. Lorraine G. McAuliffe was born on January 24, 1926 in Litchfield Minnesota, to Alex and Gerda Lindquist. She attended grade school in Atwater and Howard Lake and high school in Litchfield, graduating in 1944. She spent one year at the University of Minnesota before marrying her first husband William White. They lived in Anaconda, Montana where Bill ran a Nash Rambler Dealership. They had three children, were active in the community, and enjoyed golfing, playing cards and dancing. Though their marriage ended in divorce they remained friends throughout the years. In 1956 she married her second husband Richard W. McAuliffe who had three children of his own and immediately the family doubled in size, becoming a true "Brady Bunch." They followed work to Minnesota and Colorado before ultimately moving to Spokane in 1958 where the remained for the rest of their lives. Two more children came along before they must have decided they had a "Full House" and "Eight Is Enough." In those early years, Lorraine was a stay-at-home mom who managed the brood with as much grace under fire as was humanly possible. She had knack for cooking and sewing and making to do with what she had, which was an important attribute for the CEO of a family of ten working on a blue collar budget. She could make casseroles seem like gourmet meals, hand-me-downs seem like designer outfits and our middle class home seem like a palace. She was a very good mom. But, she was not defined by just that, she was extremely intelligent and ambitious, and when the children were old enough she went back to school, earned her license and sold real estate for 15 years. She was smart, witty, articulate and sophisticated. She enjoyed card games, crossword puzzles, good jokes, rose gardening, Frank Sinatra, politics and local sports. She loved to travel with her husband to visit family and friends in Montana, Minnesota, and Nevada. She wore several hats, and was known by many names?.Lorraine, Lindy, Lolly, Mom, Grandma, and to the love of her life, "Lollygator," but a rose by any other name is still a rose, and our loss, as deep and painful as it is, is heaven's gain. We love you Mom, and we'll miss you forever. Lorraine was preceded in death by her parents Alex and Gerda Lindquist, both of her husbands, William White and Richard W. McAuliffe, her daughter Lavaune Moore, her son Jay McAuliffe and her "pseudo" son Dan Cunningham. She is survived by her sister Lavaune Putzier (Robert), her sons Richard G. McAuliffe, Bill McAuliffe (Marie), Randy white, and Gary McAuliffe, her daughters Christina Petitti (Gary) and Gerda McAuliffe (Dale Hodges) 15 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. A special thank you from the family goes out to the Riverview Care Center and the Hospice of Spokane that took such loving and compassionate care of her over the past 5 years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the Riverview Lutheran Care Center, 1841 E. Upriver Dr. Spokane, WA 99207, or Hospice of Spokane, 121 S. Arthur, Spokane, WA 99202. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2009 at 11:00am at Heritage Funeral Chapel.