Obituaries

Lorraine (Patch) Zigman

Lorraine (Patch) Zigman PERKINSVILLE, Vt. — Lorraine Patch Zigman passed away at Cedar Hill Assisted Living in Windsor, Vermont, on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, after a long battle with cancer. Lorraine was born on Oct. 10, 1936, in Waterbury Center, Vermont, to Harold and Edna Allen Patch. The family moved to the town of Weathersfield six months later, where she lived the rest of her life. Lorraine graduated from Springfield High School in 1954. She married Raymond P. Zigman in Windsor, Vermont, in June of 1958. Lorraine worked during her teen years as a combination housekeeper/babysitter during the summer, when school was off, for several local families. She began working for Springfield High School in 1955 as a secretary, initially in the Health Office and then in the Guidance Department, where she was well-loved by students for her listening ear and her sense of fun and humor. It was in the Guidance Department that she earned the fond nickname of “Ziggy,” given to her by students. Lorraine left Springfield High School in 1985 to begin working for the State of Vermont, first for the Traffic Ticket Center, then a lengthier stint for Child Protective Services, retiring in 1996. Family, faith and community were important to Lorraine and she was actively involved in it all. She was a member of the Ascutney Volunteer Fire Department Women’s Auxiliary when it was first organized. She was a member of the Weathersfield Civil Defense Radio Communications Team until it was de-activated. Lorraine was on the Weathersfield School Board for five years, serving two years as chairman. She was a lifelong member of Perkinsville Community Church and was active in various positions with the church, including Sunday school teacher and superintendent, deacon, trustee, choir member, clerk, Women’s Fellowship, and many committees. She was a notary public and justice of the peace for many years, performing marriages and working on elections, the Board of Abatement, tax grievances and other community issues. Lorraine was a member of the Weathersfield Historical Society, serving on the Board of Governors for one term. She did volunteer work at the Weathersfield Proctor Library teaching senior citizens how to use a computer. In addition to her many hours spent volunteering, Lorraine believed in promoting fellowship and a sense of community by initiating the monthly potlucks held at the Perkinsville Community Church. She arranged speakers for this event, called and emailed folks to remind them and kept it going even when attendance was sometimes down. It was along these same lines of thinking which encouraged the inception of the Springfield High School Class of 1954 luncheons, an informal monthly get-together at Riverside Restaurant in Springfield. Lorraine had always wanted to travel; she loved to learn about other cultures and their ways of life, and when her husband, Raymond, died in 2001, she began her adventures, visiting England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Russia, the Ukraine, France and Germany, among other places. Being the social person she was, Lorraine also joined the local Senior Center, traveling with them far and wide throughout the U.S. It was her joy to share those adventures with others, speaking about them at every opportunity with school groups, senior citizen groups and monthly community potlucks. Lorraine loved animal, ALL animals. She once said she thought even eels were cute in their own way! She regularly helped rescue organizations, including the Springfield Animal Shelter, and was a rescuer of sorts herself. Several of the cats she had over the years were homeless until she took them in, including her beloved Timothy who she found living near her sister-in-law’s trailer over 10 years ago. When Lorraine moved to Cedar Hill in Windsor over a year ago because she could no longer live at home, Timothy came with her and continued to be a source of joy and comfort to her, to the very end of her life. Lorraine was a master storyteller and would use every opportunity to share the events of her years growing up in the Weathersfield area, keeping local and family history alive through the telling. Local author Steve Aikenhead was compiling a booklet of her memories when Lorraine passed away. Steve expects the booklet to be available later this year. Lorraine was predeceased by her husband, Raymond; her parents; and all her siblings, David Patch, Robert “Bob” Patch, Bette Patch Day and Joyce Patch Buttles. She is survived by her nieces, Deborah Day Emerson of Hawaii, Rebeccah Day Schauble of Maryland, and Sally Buttles Wildsmith of Maryland; as well as a great-nephew, Joseph Wildsmith of Maryland, and great-niece, Mary Wildsmith Gibson of Utah. A private graveside service will be held in the Grout Cemetery in Perkinsville, Vermont. Davis Memorial Chapel in Springfield, Vermont, is assisting with arrangements.

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