ELSIE MALEY

ELSIE "LORRAINE" MALEY
With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our wonderful Mother, Elsie "Lorraine" Maley of Vero Beach, FL on January 7th, 2026. Mom will be greatly missed by her four children: Michele Smith of Newcastle, ON, Margot Eastham of New Glarus, WI, John Patrick Maley III (Jodi L. Maley, née Peters) of Austin, TX, and Jonathan Edwin Maley (Stephanie L. Maley) of Mentor, OH; her ten grandchildren: Michael Smith, Ryan (Laura A. Smith) Smith, Kaleigh (Gavin) Wolfe, Lorraine (Xander) Eastham, Rebecca Eastham, Clayton (Sadie) Eastham, Hanna (Chris) Ward, John Patrick Maley IV (Stephanie E. Maley), Jonathan Maley, and Patrick Maley; and her 5 great-grandchildren Cayden Smith, Brady Smith, Morrison Ward, Hutchins Ward, and John Patrick "Jay" Maley V. Her loss is also grieved by her aunt Patricia "Patsy" O'Neill (née "Berglund") and family, devoted sister-in-law Mary Egan of Toronto; and by marriage, cousin Bruce Lehtinen and Bruce's children, Erik & Jodi Lehtinen, all of Thunder Bay; cousin Marguerite "Bunny" Turner of Thunder Bay; cousin Barry Bagdon of Thunder Bay; and her dear friends including Carol Beatty, and Penny & Tim Sax all of Vero Beach; and Linda & Roy Schlavensky of Appleton, WI. She was predeceased by her loving husband of 65 years John Patrick "Pat" Maley II, her father Edwin Ingram Poole, and her Mother Elsie Poole (née "Berglund").

Lorraine was born in Port Arthur, ON on December 3rd, 1935 and was an exceptional young student. She excelled in academics and graduated from Port Arthur Collegiate Institute at the age of 16. Lorraine received a full scholarship to Queen's University in Kingston, ON to study Latin. One particular evening, she was at a hockey game with friends and met her dashing future husband Pat Maley, who was immediately smitten. Pat had just begun engineering school in Thunder Bay, but after learning Lorraine was headed to Queen's, he quickly set about transferring to Queens to follow Lorraine who would become the love of his life. They married and lived together while in University at Queens, graduating in 1956. From that point forward, they began the many wonderful adventures they enjoyed during their 65 years together.

Lorraine & Pat relocated back to Port Arthur where they lived with their parents while starting their first jobs after University. Lorraine returned to Port Arthur Collegiate and began teaching Latin to students often older than herself! Lorraine & Pat bought their first house and started their family in Thunder Bay, saving Lorraine's teaching earnings to build their camp at Dog Lake. Lorraine followed Pat's career and relocated with their 3 children in the 1960's to Sault Ste. Marie, and then with their 4 children to Fort Frances, ON. While relocating to Fort Frances, Lorraine noticed that there were very few houses available. Seeing an opportunity, she quickly decided to become a dealer of pre-fabricated homes to provide housing for her own family, and many others in the Fort Frances area.

Pat & Lorraine then moved to Appleton, WI in 1975 to pursue an opportunity with Repap, a newly formed paper company with a mill in Kimberly, WI. In Appleton, Lorraine's Real Estate career continued to blossom and evolve from dealer, to builder, and then to Realtor with Century 21 where she was perennially a top producer. In addition to her entrepreneurial endeavors, Lorraine played an incredibly important role in supporting Pat's career, and provided both unwavering support and sage advice and counsel throughout the many complex situations they encountered. Lorraine's impact was so important to Repap's success that Pat named their newest paper machine (#7) "Sweet Lorraine" in her honor. They were a true team and Dad would often say that Mom was the smartest person he ever met.

Lorraine & Pat retired in 1992, and spent the remainder of their years together at their home in Vero Beach and summer camp on Dog Lake where they loved hosting family and friends. They spent their fall and winters enjoying Vero's sunny weather, attending musical and cultural events, cheering on the Green Bay Packers, and fishing offshore together on their boat, the First Class. They summered at their camp on Dog Lake and enjoyed tending to their vegetable, raspberry, and flower gardens, and running up the Dog River together to bring home a fresh catch of walleyes for supper.

Most importantly, Lorraine was a wonderfully kind, devoted and dedicated mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She taught us how to read and write, and owing to her teaching career - was a strict steward of proper grammar! She was always there to encourage us, help and guide us through our troubles, always in the bleachers for our games and performances, and always ready with her famous freshly baked chocolate cake with white fluffy icing to celebrate our victories, birthdays, and special occasions. Lorraine was an immensely talented cook and baker who would whip up sumptuous meals, delicious desserts, and a dozen different types of favorite goodies every Christmas for her lucky family and their guests.

Lorraine also had a tremendous love for art and design, and used her talents to beautifully design and decorate her homes. In her later life, Lorraine developed a tremendous love of music and shared her happiness and joy by singing, dancing, and beaming her beautiful smile throughout the years. Lorraine's family loved her dearly and we will deeply miss her kind heart, her bright creative mind, and her beautiful and brilliant smile.

Lorraine & Pat's family are planning a Celebration of Life later this summer. For those who would like to do so, in lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to your favorite charity in her honor.

Arrangements are entrusted to Strunk Funeral Home in Vero Beach, FL. Those wishing to express condolences may do so at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.