Alice Lorraine Agha

1932 - 2021

Alice Lorraine Agha

Gilbert - Alice Lorraine Agha, known as Lorraine to her family and friends, passed away Sunday, March 14 at Banner Desert Medical Center after a brief illness. She was 88.

Lorraine was born on Dec. 16th, 1932 in New York City to Joseph DeVita and Elizabeth McKeever, the youngest of their four children. She was a proud alumna of Cathedral High School in Manhattan and attended Hunter College, where she studied history - a lifelong passion.

In 1968, Lorraine met Farooq, her husband of nearly 52 years, in New York where they worked at the same hospital and Lorraine lived amid the artistic scene of Greenwich Village. They raised two daughters, traveled extensively and always immersed themselves in learning about new places.

Lorraine was deeply devoted to her family and loved animals, the arts - particularly film, theatre and books, and cooking. She was always up for a good mystery, especially a classic film noir. A born raconteur, Lorraine could paint a picture with her words and humor.

Though she and Farooq lived in many places over the years, Lorraine remained a New Yorker in her soul. An old friend once described Lorraine as "the last of the great fighters," whether on behalf of family or a cause she cared about. Indeed, her fighting spirit endured.

Though she had slowed in recent years, Lorraine never stopped laughing and finding joy in what she loved. She wanted to live and she did, and she will be forever missed.

Lorraine is survived by her husband, Farooq, her daughters Marisa and Vanessa Agha, and her grand fur baby, Dickie, all of California, her cousin William Torregrossa of New York, and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Elizabeth DeVita, sister Lillian Badolato (2009), brother Salvatore "Red" DeVita (1994), and sister Beatrice Badolato (2020).

A funeral mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 23 at St. Mary Magdalene Roman Catholic Church, 2654 E. Williams Field Road, Gilbert, Ariz. A private burial will follow at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery.

Donations can be made to Cathedral High School in New York, N.Y., the Franciscan Mission Associates of Mt. Vernon, N.Y. or Alley Cat Allies of Bethesda, Md.