Lorraine Dolores Stevens

Daughter of Nicholas and Frances Cecola, wife of Daniel Joseph Stevens, and mother of Mary Frances, Mary Anne, and Daniel Nicholas Stevens, Lorraine Dolores Stevens died peacefully in her sleep Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at her winter home in Skokie, Ill.

A teacher for five decades at William H. Prescott Elementary School in Chicago, she retired in 1985 from the career she loved, spending long summers on Lake Shishebogama in Minocqua.

Lorraine spent her early years in McHenry, Ill., with her beloved Aunt Elizabeth Weiler and cousin Emma Stokes. She always shared stories of her days on the McHenry River and her times with Emma, who was the personal secretary of  William Wrigley, Jr.

She dearly loved her dogs — Scottie, Judy, who belonged to a Minch litter, and Buffy, a mutt her husband, the principal of Old Mill School in Addison, happened upon during a visit to a student home.

Lorraine began vacationing in Minocqua in the 1930s when her father got lost and discovered the Birchwood Pines Resort. Nick and Frances rented the Dutch colonial cottage in which Warren Minch, the resort owner, lived during the winter. She especially loved sharing summers there with her cousins, goddaughter Diane (nee Chwierut) Borucki, Gail Bialas, and Linda Koepke; her aunt Florence and aunt Eleanor; her dear grandfather, Frank Mackowiak, and grandmothers, Mary Anne Mackowiak and Josephine Cecola. 

Years later, in 1969, after Mr. and Mrs. Minch passed away, Lorraine and Dan drove by the old cottage, only to find it for sale. Mary Fran, Mary Anne and Danny stayed with paternal grandparents Joseph and Stella Uczciwek while she and Dan purchased the cottage on the lake. Careers in education afforded them the opportunity to spend summers and holidays on Lake Shishebogama.

Lorraine enjoyed swimming, even swimming for Chicago Teacher College, her alma mater. The aspiring teacher served in leadership roles in student government and school publications as an undergraduate. 

She studied for her master’s degree at DePaul University with a focus on math studies.

Lorraine will be missed dearly for her devotion to her family, sewing matching beaded felt Christmas stockings for everyone, including both sons-in-law and six grandchildren. She will be remembered for her dedication to her students, some of whom she invited to the cottage. She once shared the secret to her classroom management: her lifted eyebrow. She will also be remembered for her sense of humor, characteristic dry wit, and keen intellect.

Lorraine always had a book in her hand as she would solve puzzles and read her favorite murder mysteries. The voracious reader meticulously noted on sticky notes the introduction of each character by page number, leaving the next person who picked up the book better equipped to enjoy the story.

Her sons-in-law, Timothy Moscinski and Kenneth McAdams, loved Lorraine as their own mother. As Lorraine’s memory began to fade, in a tribute to her knowledge, Tim quipped, “Your mother has forgotten more than I will ever know.”

Lorraine leaves behind six grandchildren: Daniel Joseph McAdams, Julianne McAdams, Thomas Moscinski, Catherine “Nikki” Moscinski, Samantha Stevens, and Nicholas Stevens. Her grandchildren will always cherish their memories on the lake with their loving grandmother and grandfather.