Lorraine Wharton Smalley

Lorraine Wharton Smalley, a long-time resident of Langley, Wash., died Monday, May 2, at Saratoga View Adult Care Home. Lorraine was born to Clifford and Gina Wharton on their farm outside Byron, Minn. on May 23, 1926. She moved to Washington state with her husband and three children in 1957. She spent the last 35 years on Whidbey Island. Lorraine was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Milton Smalley in 1981. She leaves her three children: Jacqueline Schwartz, Michael Smalley, and Debbie Steele, as well as six grandchildren, Michelle, Maria, Mark, Gina, Angie and Josh and eight great-grandchildren.

Lorraine was an active member of the community. She donated many hours to Good Cheer Thrift Store and she greatly enjoyed participating in Reader’s Theater at South Whidbey Bayview Senior Center. Lorraine was especially passionate about her many years of involvement with the Saturday Morning Peace Vigil at Bayview Park and Ride.

Lorraine was a woman of many talents and a rich imagination. Although she never worked outside the home, she was always engaged in creative projects. She was a productive artist working mainly in oils with a preference for landscapes. She also sculpted, focusing on character dolls and trolls. Her figures had stories to tell, often recorded on small notes tucked in pockets of handmade costumes. Some of Lorraine’s most stunning creations were crafted with beads. She designed and completed numerous beaded bags, several of which incorporated antique frames that family members collected for her. In addition to her many crafts, Lorraine wrote children’s stories as well as a memoir of growing up in Minnesota.

Family members will be returning Lorraine’s ashes to the land homesteaded by her grandparents in Minnesota. A celebration of life for friends and family will be held at a future date. Memorial gifts may be made to Good Cheer Food Bank and Thrift Stores, South Whidbey Bayview Senior Center, or The National Audubon Society.