Lorraine SWEATMAN

Lorraine Sweatman
June 25, 1923 to June 5, 2014
Lorraine died peacefully at Misericordia Place, an institution that she and her family have supported for over 20 years. She was predeceased by her husband Alan Sweatman on April 10, 2012, after nearly 69 years of marriage and an enduring love affair.
Mum is survived by her six children, 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, with one more on the way. Lorraine is mourned by son Alan (and special family friend Tari Jones) and his sons David and Iain (and Iain's son Avery); by son Wynn and his wife Teddi and their sons and daughters, Tom (Wendy and their son Donovan), Megan Sweatman (Jeff Holliday and their children, Luke, Jace and Kheya), Mark (Lea Kovach), Victoria (Cliff Rediger); by son Paul and his partner Catherine Moss and Paul's children Beau, Conrad and Sophia; by daughter Margaret Sweatman and her husband Glenn Buhr and Margaret's daughters Bailey Harris (Rob Evenson and their son Asher Harris Evenson) and Hillary Taylor (Graham Taylor and their son Grady); by daughter Elizabeth and her daughter Mikale; and by son Scott and his wife Linda Ostry and their children Farley, Julia and Sascha.
Mum was predeceased by her loving granddaughter Sheilah Lorraine Wheeler Sweatman (daughter of Wynn and Teddi) in June 2011 while volunteering for a Search and Rescue mission in British Columbia.
At their 60th wedding anniversary Dad said that 'For 60 years life with Lorraine has been a ball.' He also said 'As if producing and bringing up 6 kids wasn't enough, Lorraine has been deeply involved in a host of difficult and important institutions.' Although he was a prominent lawyer with a national reputation, Dad sometimes enjoyed walking in Mum's shadow. He joked that at a formal dinner he was introduced like this: 'I'd like you to meet Lorraine Sweatman's husband-I'm sorry, but what was your first name again?' On the other hand, Lorraine always said that 'Alsey makes me laugh every day'.
They met in 1939 and married in 1943. They loved to dance, first at the Star Dust Prom, then at the Winnipeg Dance Club and right through to their 80's. Lorraine loved cottage life, family ski trips at the Box Cars, walking their Golden Retrievers and hosting family or social evenings for friends and business associates. She was a diehard Liberal and enjoyed campaigning.
She was a master at putting people at ease and remained gracious right to the end. A close friend and colleague described her as 'curious and loving but never backed away from controversy. Lorraine gave you her complete attention and was never embarrassed to admit that she did not understand something. She had integrity.'
Those traits are some of the reasons that she was elected and/or appointed to leadership roles including President of her sorority, President of the Junior League, member of the Board of Broadcast Governors (a predecessor to the CRTC), member of the Medical Research Council of Canada, Chairperson of the Misericordia General Hospital Foundation (now the Misericordia Health Centre), the Misericordia Health Centre Board and the Misericordia Corporations Board. Throughout that time she was also very active at Westminster Church, taking various leadership roles there as well. 'As if producing and raising six kids wasn't enough' we often joked that she also wanted to be a nun.
As a testament to her values, her loyalty, her caring and her intelligence Lorraine enjoyed friendships that now extend back through 70 years or more. Many of her lifelong friends were and are also accomplished people with a record of giving back to the community over and over again.
Mum claimed that she owed her values and optimistic outlook to a happy upbringing. She was the 7th and youngest child to David and Margaret MacDonald and lived in the Wolsley neighbourhood. She married the love of her life one day after turning 20 and never regretted anything she ever did. She was the last of her siblings to survive.
Lorraine and Alan saw the world and made friends everywhere they went. They sailed the Adriatic and the Caribbean. They skied the Alps and the Rockies. They were patrons of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and enjoyed the opera in England and Rome. Mum will be missed by family, by friends and the community. The family extends special thanks to the caregivers at Misericordia Health Centre, interim care, Cornish2 where Lorraine lived with their compassionate care for a full year.
A funeral service will be held at Westminster United Church at 4:00 PM on June 25, 2014, with a reception to follow. Those wishing to honour Lorraine's memory can make a donation to the Sheilah Sweatman Memorial Fund at Fort Whyte Alive or the Westminster United Church Foundation or the Misericordia Health Centre Foundation.
Condolences may be sent to www.desjardinsfuneralchapel.ca.
Desjardins 233-4949 1-888-233-4949 www.desjardinsfuneralchapel.ca