Lorraine Frances Manfrass

Lorraine Frances Cleary who was born on Mother’s Day, May 11, 1930 in San Pedro, California to her parents William F. Cleary and his wife Nettie Cordelia and was lovingly nurtured by her beloved “Mama Daisy”. She left this world on St. Patrick’s Day as the proud and classy Irishwoman she was.
She is predeceased by her older brother William Cleary Jr. (Pauline) and also predeceased by her younger sister Patricia Luse (Steve).

Lorraine attended schools in San Pedro and Lomita and graduated from Narbonne High School in 1947.
On July 4, 1946, she eloped with her high school Sweetheart, Paul Gazeley. They were blessed with three children: Kathleen Ann Fisher (Rick, deceased), James Robert Gazeley (Andrea), and predeceased by her youngest son Gary Michael Gazeley (Michelle). Lorraine was the proud grandmother to Sandra Edelstein (Seth), Jessica Gazeley Hebert, Michael Gazeley (Vanessa), and Holly Danielson (Allen). Her wonderful Grandchildren blessed her with her Nine doted upon Great Grandchildren: Ella and Avery Edelstein, Ryland and Carter Hebert, Mikayla, Octavia and Michael Gazeley and Charlotte and Jake Danielson.

Lorraine was the true matriarch of her big family. She said her goal in life was to be an excellent mother and homemaker. All of her children agree that she earned an A+ in that department.
Lorraine was very social and was famous for throwing dinner parties for her family and friends. She was gifted athletically, artistically, and musically. As a young mother, she played on a Winning Women's Softball team. She enjoyed playing golf and regularly watched her favorites play on TV. She had fun tap dancing and we enjoyed her recitals. She swam and exercised daily in her beautiful pool. She truly enjoyed gardening and growing her tomatoes that she generously delivered as gifts to friends, and even to her doctors’ offices. She was a gifted painter taking classes at Harbor College. She also became dedicated to piano lessons at the age of sixty-five! Music was a big part of her life and she held season tickets for the Long Beach Pops. She had a beautiful voice and loved to sing even at local restaurants and bars. Her go-to song was “Embraceable You .”

She met her second husband Bill Manfrass who was a dashing Captain for United Airlines and an owner of various airplanes and properties. It was on a return from an air show in 1988 that he died in a crash of his private plane. They bonded over their love of music and adventure. They traveled worldwide including a special trip with her father to his homeland of Ireland. The entire family enjoyed many vacations to their lovely vacation homes in Lake Tahoe and Lake Arrowhead.

Lorraine had a sharp mind, a quick wit, and a tremendous zest for life. She loved entertaining and sharing her delicious cooking with loved ones. She surely packed a lot of life into her nearly ninety-three years with us. As her dear friend Martin just said “There is never going to be another Lorraine! “So true. She is deeply loved and is greatly missed.