Lorraine Reading

Lorraine Joyce Upton Reading, mother to eight children, and widow of Burl LeRoy (Coach) Reading, passed away on May 4, 2025 in Hemet, California at the age of 92. She was born on August 28,1932 in Burbank, California to Myron Burbank Upton and Lilias Eleanor Odermatt Upton. She was their second child, with older brother Jack Henry being almost 2 at the time. Except for about a year in Souder, Missouri between the ages of 2 and 3, Lorraine was raised in several southern California communities. Her family moved to Nuevo, California at around age 9 in 1941. About 3-1/2 years later, Lorraine's younger brother, Dale Thomas, was born. The home in Nuevo is where she spent the rest of her "growing up" years, and she graduated from Perris High School, Perris California in June of 1950. That fall, she briefly attended Riverside City College.
In 1951, Lorraine married Philip Ray Ashley in Perris. Their daughter, Katherine Kay, was born in 1952, and their son, Daniel Alan, was born in 1954. They divorced in 1955. In 1955, she married Winfield James Shelby in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their sons, James Upton, Douglas Lee, and Robert Ray, were born in 1956, 1958, and 1959, respectively. They divorced in 1967. In 1967, she married George Oliver McGuire in Perris. George adopted James, Douglas, and Robert in 1969. They divorced in 1973. During those marriages she lived in Pomona, California, Nuevo, and Moreno Valley (Sunnymead), California.
While Douglas and Robert were involved with sports, Lorraine met one of their coaches, Burl LeRoy (Coach) Reading. On June 30, 1973, they were married in Las Vegas. Being Coach's first marriage and he having no children, they decided to adopt three siblings, Douglas Dale (6), Monique Lynne (5), and Evan Michael (2) in 1976. While living in Moreno Valley, they built and then moved into their home in Nuevo in 1978, where they lived for 16 years. In 1989, they purchased some property in New Harmony, Utah to build a home and move there after they both retired. In 1994, they moved into their dream home. Lorraine and Coach moved back to California in 2018 to stay in an assisted living center, Sun City Gardens, in the Sun City community of Menifee so that Katherine, Daniel, and Evan, along with their spouses, could help tend to their needs.
Lorraine was a hard worker. Beginning at the age of 12, she and her brother, Jack, worked in their Dad's potato shed, and received adult wages since help was scarce during World War II. In 1965 she worked a year as a secretary for both the Student Counselor at Perris Union High School and the Vice Principal at Perris Junior High School. In 1966 she was hired by Judge C. R. Wilkerson as the traffic clerk. After Judge Wilkerson retired in 1977 and the court was merged with two other courts to form the Three Lakes Municipal Court, Lorraine was promoted by Judge William R. Bailey as the courtroom clerk. In 1980 he promoted her to Clerk/Administrator, and she worked in that position until she retired in 1991.
As a youth, Lorraine participated in the 4-H Club, and as a teenager, she represented the community as their Farmer's Daughter. She also played on the high school tennis team. As a young mother, she served for two years as the President of the Parent Teachers Association for the Nuview Elementary School. Before her retirement, Lorraine was sponsored by one of her judges and became the first woman to join the Perris Valley Rotary Club. She spent much of her adult life painting landscapes, seascapes, portraits, and animals. She and Coach also enjoyed their many travels, including a trip to the Holy Land.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, Lorraine served in several positions, including as a teacher in some of the organizations, Relief Society President, and Ward Librarian. After moving to New Harmony, Coach was baptized and confirmed a member of the church in 1995. They were then sealed in the St. George, Utah Temple on June 1, 1996. In May 2000, they were called to serve an 18-month mission for the church in San Diego, California. They taught less active members for the first two months, and then reported to the Mormon Battalion Visitors Center in Old Town. They also met with visitors on the San Diego Temple grounds and with the young men in boot camp at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Lorraine participated in The Daughters of Utah Pioneers, New Harmony, Utah Camp, and at one time received a Pioneer Woman of Today award. She and Coach also spent countless hours on family history research and temple service. Lorraine drafted some family histories as well. Coach passed away on April 8, 2019 in Sun City.
Lorraine is survived by her daughter, Katherine (Paul), sons, Daniel (Lynne), James, Douglas L. (Cindy), Robert, Douglas D., daughter, Monique (Paul), son, Evan (Dana), 26 grandchildren, 43 great grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, and her brother, Dale Thomas. She was preceded in death by her husband, LeRoy (Coach), her parents, Myron and Lilias Upton, and her brother, Jack.
Funeral Services will be held Wednesday May 28, 2025 at the Kanarraville Chapel, 80 S. Main St., Kanarraville, Utah at 11:00 AM. Interment will be in the New Harmony, Utah Cemetery, under the direction of Southern Utah Mortuary. To view a live stream of the service and to leave online condolences, please go to www.mortuary.org.